On this day, a compassionate king was born

By Solomon Essiet

This very special King loved by God, has been so many things on Earth, the positions God helped prepared him for a time like this. Check below; Head Boy (Victory High School, Lagos); a Sunday School Teacher (The Apostolic Church); an Interpreter of the Gospel (The Apostolic Church); an Elder in His Vineyard.

An Ordained Pastor; an astute Banker (Union Bank Plc); a responsible Manager (Norman Holdings Ltd); a seasoned businessman (Royalty Group); an under-shepherd (All Nation Christian Ministries Int’l); Board Chairman (Hotels and Tourism Management Board); an Employer of labour (Evidently over 2000 workers in his private capacity); Executive Director (AKICORP); Commissioner for Lands and Water Resources; an astute Politician per excellence; the Governor of Akwa Ibom State; the leader of our Party (Peoples Democratic Party) Akwa Ibom State and a successful family man.

April 24, 1964 was not an ordinary day. That was the day the King was born. A man set aside for leadership, predestinated for Kingship and made to reign in life. Not all kings rule with love, not all Kings rule with empathy, not all Kings rule with the fear of God, and not all Kings rule with compassion.

But this King that we all know, His Excellency, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, is a Compassionate and Peaceful King.

One thing I would love to mention in this piece is how exceptional Pastor Umo Bassey Eno is in matters of Leadership. Not just as a Governor, but all his life.

If you must know, what he is giving out as a Governor has always been with him. He has always lived a life of service to mankind. The last thing you will not be able to give is what you don’t have. The repercussion of giving what you don’t have is grievous. So, on a special day of nativity,

I choose to celebrate this special King who has distinguished himself through a lifetime of dedicated service.

Pastor Umo Bassey Eno, serves with integrity and dignity whenever duty calls. In his early days in the Apostolic Church, as a Sunday School Teacher, he offered his best and was very consistent. One of his Sunday School Students at Apostolic Church Maboju, Lagos, Mr. Israel Sunday Udoh, still talked about his experience with his noble Sunday School Teacher as a child.

Later on, as an Interpreter in The Apostolic Church, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno excelled in the act of interpreting God’s words to the people of God. As a spirit-filled interpreter, he looked forward to that role with preparation and never disappointed the Church in his capacity as an Interpreter of the Gospel of Christ.

That was where he attracted the spirit of discernment. A good Interpreter of the Gospel must be ahead of the Preacher spiritually, to be able to give the right and cohesive interpretation to the words of God spoken by the Preacher of the Gospel.

This level of preparation has paid off in his office as the Governor of Akwa Ibom State. With the Wisdom and the grace of God upon his life, before you start talking to him, he knows where you are going. And he already has the right answer waiting for you.

Pastor Umo Bassey Eno, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, started assuming a leadership role at a tender age, as evidenced by the responsibilities highlighted above from his youthful age.

If as a young man or woman, you are not serving in any leadership position right from college or even in Church, I doubt the kind of leader you will become when you grow up.

There is something called potential, it must be discovered at various stages in life. What is your potential? Pastor Umo Bassey Eno, discovered his leadership potential from a very tender age.

His life and achievements should be a lesson and inspiration to the young generation, that with the right focus, God can take us to any level we desire in life.

Given his ever-focused lifestyle, while working at Norman Investment Limited between 1991 to 1997, he distinguished himself as a man of excellence and towering integrity,

He developed a financial roadmap and increased revenue generation in the said Company, moving the growth rate from 5% to 15% in a year.

He rose through the ranks from Finance and Investment Manager to General Manager.

As if it was not enough, through a dint of hard work, he rose to the position of the Group General Manager of the Holding Company (Norman Holdings Ltd).

From a humble beginning in 1997, he established Royalty Hotels and Recreation Ltd. With just five rooms, the business gradually evolved into a conglomerate of hospitality and allied services, that has become one of the leading brands in the hospitality industry both in Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria.

The Royalty Group provides employment opportunities in most cases to 2,500 people across the Country. 80% which are the indigenes of Akwa Ibom State.

In 2004, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno was called into public service, and appointed as Chairman, Hotels and Tourism Management Board, by His Excellency, Arch. Obong Victor Attah, the then Governor of Akwa Ibom State.

He held that position till the end of that very administration in 2007. Key among his achievements in that position was the first ever State-Wide Hotel inspection for categorization and classification.

He also developed and printed the first Akwa Ibom Hotels Directory, which serves as a veritable source of information for the sector and guide to travelers and tourists visiting the State.

In September 2019, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno was appointed as the Executive Director, of Agricultural Investment in Akwa Ibom State Investment Corporation (AKICORP).

He distinguished himself in the Investment Corporation through selfless service, leading to his recommendation to be appointed to the Akwa Ibom State Executive Council as Commissioner for Lands and Water Resources, on January 4, 2021, by his political father, Deacon Udom Emmanuel.

The reward for good work is more work. As the Bible says, “Seest thou a man diligent in his business, he shall stand before Kings, he shall not stand before mean men”. Proverbs 22:29. His level of commitment and exceptional dedication to assigned duty, while serving as the Honourable Commissioner for Lands and Water Resources, was enough to convince his political father, Deacon Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, that Pastor Umo Bassey Eno would do well as the next Governor of Akwa Ibom State.

Thus, despite the number of opposition and the trouble encountered, Deacon Udom Gabriel Emmanuel stood his ground and anointed Pastor Umo Bassey Eno, as his worthy successor on January 30, 2022.

This is what God alone can do for his faithful servant. The mantle of leadership fell on him right from that day. All the noise during the campaigns counted but a little, because God Almighty was involved in the business of choosing a King that was prepared by God alone for Akwa Ibom people at a time like this. A man of peace.

Then came the gubernatorial election on March 18, 2023. Pastor Umo Bassey Eno, destined to reign as King and Governor over the Akwa Ibom people won convincingly with a landslide number of votes. Sworn into the office peacefully on May 29, 2023. All hail the King.

On behalf of my family, I wish your Excellency a happy birthday. I pray for maximum strength to carry on.

Arise, that same God.

Essiet, ACIA, Writing from Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area, the Raffia City.