MY FRIENDS ……. THEIR IMPACT
IN MY LIFE!
‘These
things may look small, but they had a big impact in my life’-
Cyprian Henry
1.
Victor OBAGIDI
Your
Impact in my life cannot be over looked at this point of my life. Since our
encounter in the year 2010, you have continued to increase and double your
impact in my life. One significant thing among other things in your life of
which I am deeply touched is your SELFLESSNESS. Your taught me that the major
proof of love is sacrifice. You are a man with a deep fear of God. Eternity is
your priority and I remember vividly when you told me ‘seek ye first the
kingdom of God’ you made me know that there is a creator somewhere that need to
be revered. You helped me build love of God and you made me know God more.
Another
impeccable quality is your leadership spirit. You made me discover the leader
inside of me. You stirred up that sleeping giant within me. You stretched me
beyond my limits. You also made me realize that after God, people are very
important in our lives. You made understand this truth by the way you gave me
almost all of your time strengthening me when I am weak, correcting me when I
go wrong and showing me love when I feel unloved. Words alone cannot capture
the entire impact you have buried inside me. Paper alone cannot contain several
scenarios where you taught me real life lessons.
Finally,
this may sound ridiculous but I have no choice than to confess it. You are the
first person that taught me how to always iron my clothes. I recalled clearly
that sunny day when you stood outside my compound and said ‘I don’t go out without
ironing my clothes’ those words sank deep into the interiors of my being and it
registered instantly. Before, I used to look rough but ever since you unveiled
that secret to me I have never missed ironing my clothes. These things may look small, but they had a big impact in my life
2.
Victor NEGRO
I
have never in my life imagined that Toyosi Akenrele via her RISE program was
ever going to bring 2 young men like us together and even if I tried to imagine
I would never have come to believe that we would still be friends up till date.
But thanks to fate destiny have its ways of connecting people together! Mr.
Victor Negro. You are a genius! And I mean it. You have sown seeds in my life
that would grow tomorrow to become a giant oak tree. You taught me the power of
knowledge. Your high level of experience and knowledge which you have gleaned
through tomes of books is one thing that always make me respect you. When you
speak, my pen is always ready to steal some knowledge which I might not get
anywhere else. You inspired me!
Another
thing which I believe also helped cemented our relationship is you powerful writing skill. Your great
works of writing are almost like great writers of old. When I think about Victor
Negro I think about great writers like Mark Twain and Charles Dickens. You
perhaps never knew, I made you my mentor some one I desire to be like. But your
humility is another attribute that stunned me. You made me realize that I could
become even greater than you are. You made recall that axiom that state ‘Great
man are known by the way they treat little men’ you are a great man indeed.
Your Vision for a renewed black race is a compelling one for me as well as
other which was the sole reason why you initiated The Message Fellowship which vision is to bring a message to a
messed age like ours. There are many others impact you laid in me which I
cannot keep writing for lack of space. But meanwhile, you are a true friend!
3.
Ms MARTHA Nnenna
Martha,
you are a source of perpetual inspiration for me. To others you may look like
any other woman, but to me you are special, sacred and highly placed. You are a
woman of substance. You are a simple proof that women can take the baton of
REAL LEADERSHIP. You have invested and labored tirelessly for the sustenance
and progress of our organization-The Catholic Youth Organization of Nigeria
(CYON). You have proved to me and to the entire church that ‘What a man can do,
a woman can do even better’. I believe strongly that all you have labored for
and sacrificed for the peace, progress and growth of CYON will NEVER go
unrewarded. Another strong point about you is your ability to forgive. As the
PRO of this organization, I can have lost count of the number of times I have
failed in my duty. But each time we meet after your chastisement you will
always let it go. I have learnt a lot more from you and I can not totally
unfold my feelings to you. God bless you Nnenna.
4.
Ms Tina Ututu
I
know quite well that we knew each other not quite long but this short time had
had a long time impact in my life. In spite of your enigma in the church as a
lector, you have decided to humble yourself to give extra hours to other activities
when they arise. You are warm, kind and loving to people but more especially to
me. I have seen many ladies who have not gotten your kind of experience but
would carry themselves so high that they despise other people. But your case is
a different one and I applause you for that!
Another
strong attribute you which I discovered lately is your deep financial
responsibility. You are very careful and responsible with money. You may wonder
how I got to know this. I knew this after the YOUNG PEOPLES’ FORUM which you acted
as the ‘treasurer’. You amazed every one. Every single penny was accounted for
and every left penny was carefully kept when the need arise. KUDOS
5.
Ms Imelda UDOH
Whenever
I think of you Imelda, I think of a woman who her generation will never forget.
I see a woman who will never compromise her values, a woman who her husband
would be forever grateful to have as a wife. I see a woman who wants to let her
light shine. I see a woman who is God fearing, a woman who is not loose with her
body, I see a biblical Abigail see a woman of wisdom. In case you have not
realized, you are a blessing to this generation. In the next few years ahead
women will learn great things at your feet.
You
are a rare gem, a different girl I have ever met. This is not flattery, I know
you hate flattery but this is straight from the dept of my heart. I have learnt
so much from you. I learnt how to think and act maturely. I have learnt self
control, I learnt to be sincere and be real. You are a blessing to me.
6.
Mr. Ejike OKORIE
Mr.
Ejike, you are a pro initiator. You came into the CYON not long ago and you
began to think up wonderful ideas with which the organization can move on! You
amaze me. You are ever ready to work; you are always disposed to serve the
church and the youths. You amazed me. You are not a time waster, you do things
in time. You taught me never to give room for complacency and procrastination.
I will NEVER forget what you told me, which I wrote down somewhere in my file.
You said ‘procrastination devalues a man’
yes! I felt bad when you told me that while we had our Executive Meeting
but I had to accept it because I knew I was guilty of it. I picked up courage
to change. You did it!
You
are also an ‘idea bank’ the rate at which you manufacture ideas is really
alarming to me. It got to a point that I began to ask myself ‘where on earth do this guy get these ideas
from?’ You never lack ideas. Well I got to realize it was because of your
many years of experience and your excellence spirit. God bless you.
7.
Mr. Innocent UCHENNA
A
man, who is committed to just one thing which is serving God. You are a young
man full with brimming potentials and talents craving a chance to express
itself. You impacted my life. Firstly, I noticed that you are very obedient to
your parents. I saw how you worked humbly to support the family. If the truth
be said, I grabbed that attribute to help my parents too in supporting and
giving more to my family. Believe it or not, it is true! You are person who
relates well with people and I could see a significant reason why people like
you especially ladies.
I
never knew you have a knack for entertainment which is comedy precisely! I only
heard you performed sometime somewhere and I never gave that full acknowledgement
until I saw for myself. Thank you for the impact you left in my life but
remember: these things may look small,
but they have a big impact in my life
8.
Mr. Emmanuel AWATEFE
Humble
to the core! Sometimes I begin to imagine what kind creature you are. You humble
to a fault. You are willingly to sacrifice more and give more of what is more
important, which is your time. I have always loved to be humble too and I met
someone whose life is a book already for me to read everything I need to know
about humility. God will lift you higher very soon because I know He loves
humble people like you. There a few other quality which I can just write about
because I don’t know how to begin to express them on paper. Thank you my
friend.
9.
Mr. Philip ALI
They
usually say ‘people of the same values flock together’ I sometimes regard you
Ali and Emmanuel as ‘twins from
different mother’ why? Because your attitudes rob off on each other. You
seem to be one. Perhaps a good reason why both of you are very close. I admire
your ‘gang’ it had an impact on me. But there is one attribute that distinguish
you totally from your friend Emmanuel. It is your simplicity. You’re a very
simple person, very easy to get along with. God bless you my friend. If you
would remember vividly when I screamed on top of my voice ‘I like you Mr.
Philip’ those words were not mere words they were from a sincere heart. Thank
you!
10. Mr.
Chima NWADI
As
a future promising counselor and a minister of the word of God you became a
friend which I can not do without. You are an inspiration to me. Just like
Victor NEGRO you also taught me the value of knowledge and information. You’re
a great visionary and a very focused person. You are a man who taught me never
to accept average for the best. You are an embodiment of wisdom from God. You
make me almost cry when you took me to your library. I saw what you invest you
more on-information, knowledge, books. That day, the 23rd of October
is a remarkable one for me. It was a day I vowed to increase my thirst for knowledge.
I can not express my utmost feelings here on paper. Thank you, Chima. More
powers to your elbows.
11.
Ms Faith ORJI
The
ease with which you laugh is an admirable quality I gleaned from you. I mean
you taught me how to laugh. You are a woman with a good heart and I believe
Victor OBAGIDI also had a hand in shaping you to become the person you have
become. Despite the fact that you are a lady, you have the heart of a man. At
the demise of your father, I could see how you mustered courage to move on. I
am not sure if I could muster such courage if it were me. I admire many things
about you. Your time with victor OBAGIDI, Muyiwa AFARA made me feel we were a
part of one family. You are a woman with an open heart and I admire you for
that God bless you.
GENERAL NOTE:
You
all in one way of the other made me tick just I made you also but it is not
wise to criticize and condemn people. Abraham Lincoln said ‘I will speak ill of no man and speak all the good I know of everybody’
this statement was made after Abraham Lincoln had a death threatening quarrel
with a friend in his cabinet during the Civil war in 1863.
It was criticism that made Thomas Hardy of
Americans finest novelist to give up his career for life, it made Thomas Chatterton,
a English poet to commit suicide. Criticism destroys relationship and it breeds
resentment. It takes character and self control to forgive. If there any way I
have made you all feel disgust, reach out to forgive me.
May
God in all His richness bless you as you make out time for this invitation and
above all for making my day!
Cyprian UDEBUIKE
2,250 words
