Eko Atu, former Chairman of Abi LGA, Cross River state and an acolyte of former governor Liyel Imoke, pens a take home message in this write up.
God rewards good works.
I need to tell this story especially for those of us who find ourselves in positions of authority, or hold one office or the other in trust for the people.
I recall when Imoke came onboard as governor, he awarded the contract for the interlocking kerbs from the bottom hill (sic) to the summit of the Obudu ranch resort.
This was to further secure the lives of visitors to the ranch who use their cars up the ranch. It could be recalled that so many lives have been lost on the Obudu ranch mountain road either due to break failures or other mechanical faults.
So it became necessary to assure visitors of their safety while commuting up and down the ranch.
H.E., then Senator Ben Ayade had lost the Mum and as usual with Imoke, went to Obudu to first attend the vigil night and the church service the next day.
We left Calabar a little late for Obudu. I drove with H E, the Deputy Governor in his car; while Senator Ndoma Egba drove with H.E. Imoke.
We had a good time out with H E, then Senator Ayade who given his sociable nature ensured everybody on the convoy was well taken care of.
We departed Obudu a little late that night to sleep over in the ranch so we could come for the church service the next day.
For some of us who have visited the ranch especially going up the ranch at night will attest to the fact that the ranch at night becomes foggy. Midway on our journey up the ranch, H.E., the deputy governor looked back in the foggy weather and said to me that he can’t sight the headlights of H E cars.
He then asked his driver to make a U turn, but it was dangerous given that the whole place had become so foggy. We got down and started trekking back to see if we could sight the headlights of H E’s convoy.
We had trekked for some 30min down the hill, when we sighted the headlights of the convoy. When we reached where the cars were, we realized there had been an accident involving H E. Apparently, the driver had slept off and the car was going into the ditch. The CSO who was Infront manuvoured the steering and the car came crashing on the kerbs.
H.E. had a fracture on his right hand which kept him away from work for several weeks because he needed an operation. I just remembered that incident and I ask myself, if those kerbs were not in place; the obvious may have happened.
So when you are in office or position of authority, build that health centre, because you may never know if the first aid you need to survive in an emergency would be provided by that facility. Build that school because the child who goes to that school, might become a medical doctor tomorrow who might save your life.
God rewards good works, and because Senator Imoke had constructed those interlocking kerbs to safeguard other people’s lives, God used his good work to save his life.
