Chief Victor Umeh's Managnanity : The Dr Aforka Elo As A Specimen

            

Odogwuemekaodogwu.com reports on how the Philanthropy of Chief Victor Umeh made Dr Afoka Elo, the special  Assistant to the Deputy Governor of Political matters . Enjoy his views  unedited :

I came to know Chief Victor Umeh the then and now National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance circa September, 2007.

 I was faced with the challenge of how to endure another five to six years of academic torment having passed through a terrible financial hard time in my four years of first degree. 

I would say divinity brought me into the hand of the man who have in no small measure helped me wriggle out of the quagmire that sometimes stifles the brilliance of ones fortune.

In the aforementioned year, caught up in the crisis of "I must earn a PhD in philosophy" and the "obvious penury of those days" I was left with nothing but crisis of ambition  and poverty. Having been a staunch believer of Igbo struggle I had from the time of secondary school days in the seminary nursed that one day the Igboman must be given his due in this part of the world and I for one must be in the vanguard of the purveyors of this struggle. Absolutely possessed by this mindset, I left the seminary having finished my senior secondary school Examination.

I joined APGA in 2003 in Onitsha. Even though I joined the party unofficially, that is, I was not a card carrying member of our great party as at this time in question. But that notwithstanding I was appointed the secretary of APGA youth wing of Onitsha North. I have not gotten admission to study in the University as at this time. But it was during these days that I got to know Chief Victor Umeh from the distance of the airwaves.

The hour did come to draw closer.That was in 2007 when it was very clear I cannot fulfill by ambition of being a Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy because of financial constraint. I had heard of Chief Victor Umeh's characteristic generosity from a woman. 

The woman has told my mother how Chief paid the school bills of  her children in the higher institutions, not one, neither are they two. Their number certainly more than the number of the aformentioned. Enamoured by these story of my mum I embarked on my own trial mission. Withnin myself, I know it was not gonna be a mission of Sisyphus.

Through my mother, for the first time, I got the mobile number of Ohamadike. Mum had collected the number from the woman who Chief have shown generosity.

The trial began. I dialled Chief one evening. I chose this time knowing full well that the office of the Chairman of a party may make him get too engaged during the day that calling at this hour to make demand of money may not just be embarrassing but seriously disturbing and one can only get a snub. I called Chief and he picked. I explained myself and what I have studied and my intention to further my studies as well as the name of my University. Chief no doubt is in love with not just education generally but with academics in particular. 

Only one thing did he say those days when he picked the call,“Go to your University and get a written paper from one woman (name withheld), she works in the student affairs department". Fortunate was my brother. The woman in question was the person who handed over my call-up letter to me. She quickly, in a small sheet of paper, certified that I was a bonafine graduate of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka and that I have been admitted do a Master's program in Philosophy. Having gotten Madam's authority as demaded by Chief I embarked on another call, now in the daytime knowing full well I have certified Chief's demand.

As soon as Chief picked the call I told him I got the letter from the woman. Chief said, ''come to Enugu, when you get to Enugu call me". When I got to Enugu I put another call to Chief, he picked after I had dialled the third time and asked me to come to something "Rovers" in Independence layout Enugu, Enugu State. Whoever that is conversnat with the metropolitan city will know the complete name. One of these fast food centres. One thing have always baffled me when I cast mind back to these days past.

This: The ignorance that the mission of  "Rovers" Enugu will blossom a relationship that will afford me all the things that I have desired both academically and politically.

I had gone to negotiate for sponsorship for a Master's programme but in utter ignorance that I was there to also get a PhD sponsorship. Chief gave me a whooping sum of money there and then. I could in reminicensce of my apprehenssion of being robbed, recall how I nervously rushed to the nearest defunct intercontinental bank to pay the handsome cash into my private account.

 I have insinuated that Chief Victor Umeh did not stop at the full sponsorship of my Master's programme but also took the responsibility of the full sponsorship of my PhD programme that today I can append PhD to my name with gay abandon. Nothing can be more correct than this: Full sponsorship from Master's degree to PhD, if I should belabour. 

However, it is far from being within the scope of this short writing to make even a small mention of too many other benefits I did enjoy being one of the major benificiaries of chief's munificence. Be this as it at may, one demands for immidiate mention:Chief's magnanimity continued even after I have secured my  Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy. 

I have today joined the class of Dr. Chuba Okadigbo and Prof. Pat Utomi who immidiately after their PhD programs were offered political appointments offording them the first class opportuinty to serve their people with the ebullience of youthfulness. 

I have been offered such a first class opportunity through the magnaminity of the only chair of APGA in Nigeria and I do wish to deploy this medium to render my unalloyed gratitude as well as say that my experience of Chief's generosity is only but one out of the too many of such stories of magnanimity that goes to show that Chief's magnanimity to me is not because of me but because of Chief's characteristic attitude towards the needy and this, I must confess, demand public commendation.

Dr. Elo Afoka is the Special Assistant to

Deputy Governor of Anambra State on

Political Matters.Mobile: 08039229982