Gov. Udom, Kalu blaze trail for indigenous enterprise center

Success Damian:
The Governor of Akwa-Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel and former Governor of Abia State and Senator-elect, Dr Orji Uzo Kalu, will be the dramatic personae at the commissioning of first indigenous Enterprise Center powered by Southern Atlantic Polytechnic, Uyo, this Saturday.

The founder of the polytechnic and General Overseer of Royal House of Faith, Pastor Bassey James, disclosed this at media chat ahead of the commissioning slated for May 25.

In a press statement, Pastor James, who is also the Chancellor of the polytechnic, explained that the Enterprise Center was primarily established to combine what he described as abundant local technology and state of the art technologies from industrialised economies with a view to build capacity and spark off industrial revolution in South-South, South-East and Nigeria in general.

According to Pastor James, the commissioning will also offer an avenue to celebrate home grown business gurus, who eventually made it to the level renowned world class billionaires and entrepreneurs.

He said: “We are also looking at the caliber of people we are bringing. For instance, former Governor of Abia State and Senator-elect, Dr. Orji Uzo Kalu, is a multi-billionaire businessman who became rich when he was less than 20 years.

“I have worked with him since 1989. I studied him like a book and I discovered the ingenuity in him and we said this kind of person should come and talk to the youths on how he was able to build his business empire from nothing to this greatness.

“And he has agreed to come; to speak on the business revolution, possibilities, focus and entrepreneurship spirit which he has. He is coming to put fire in our bones and hearts to drive the young men and women from the South-South, South-East and from outside who are already coming to the programme, to the destination of success.”

The Executive Governor of Akwa-Ibom State, His Excellency Udom Emmanuel, of course is the Chief Host. “Coming from the banking sector to become governor of Akwa-Ibom State, with a lot of experience in business and finance, he will also give a lot of encouragement to the youths.”

Pastor James, aslo, commended the Akwa-Ibom State governor for spear-heading industrial revolution, building industries and empowering youths across the state.

“We are asking him: Your Excellency to please come and speak to the youths. His acceptance will add colour,” he said.

He added: “We are also bringing professors’ across the world. Professors Okoro, a man who is an authority in Engineering Management Science, will be looking at the combinations of locally manufactured equipment, local engineering and fabrication, local Enterprise Development and the equipment that is needed to develop transport network and bringing it together from the point of an academician to the point of physical development.”

Sunday Telegraph reliably learnt that the former Military Administrator of Akwa-Ibom State His Excellency, Idong Essiet Nkan, will Chair the occasion.

The Pastor, who disclosed that he grew up on the street and began to running his own business at the tender age of 19, said that he would also make his experience on practical business to the younger generation of Nigerians through the Enterprise Center.

His words: “I have never earned salary before and I don't know what salary is. I have been a street boy; I grew up on the streets of Ajegunle, Apapa road, Idumota, Lagos Island, Alabama Market and Ariaria. “My experience on the street helped me to build Bascom Nigerian LTD, Telecom Master Limited and other companies. As a criminologist also, this has add a lot of value for me and I understand the minds of people, their pains, unemployment and how to tackle it because I have been there. I know the pains, the sufferings and what people go through when they don't have job. I know the disconnect between the people and the government, so I am bring my experience as somebody who has paid the dues, going through a lot of pains, sufferings and rising to where I am. I work with governor's, I work with many people and I think we can share ideas and look into what we can do and add value to our people.”

According to the cleric, “Professors across the world are already building partnership around me, especially on our Business School and Entrepreneurship Development Center.”

“And they are saying we know you, we have confidence in you, we want to come and see how we can add value to you having known and seen what you have done to develop a unique polytechnic education for sake of building capacity for your people.”

Pastor James challenged other well-meaning Nigerians to invest in the development of the Nigerians adding that no nation can develop beyond the quality of her citizens.

“As a pastor, I have discovered that whatever that you have today, if you don't put back to the street and contribute to the development of your community or add value to the people you have not got anything. I challenges every rich man every young man that is doing well to look for what to do.”

He added: “Before September when we commence the academic session fully on the Polytechnic side, we should be able to build Enterprise, in three months, I will create jobs, I will give people direction, in six months we should be able to stand our feet on the ground and say this is what we have achieved and this is where we are going.

Femi Adesina, Special assistant on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, will come to do justice to the issue if building relationships between the government and the people. He should be speaking our minds to the youths because the youths are looking up to those people in government to give them assurance that these things can be better."