This is his Chance

Hon. Barr. Onofiok Luke, representing Nsit Ubium in AKHA

By  Osondu Ahirika

"When will you stop writing praises of Hon (Barr.) Onofiok Luke?", a curious reader asked me. "Until he derails and starts to fart in his political and social activities", I replied. So soon again, I find myself "landlocked" , as it seems, and condemned to commending him once again. Three dimensions quickly come to mind as I set out to review Luke's latest diadem. Let me quickly share them.

First, he proves William Shakespeare wrong. This legendary English playwright, describing Cassius, in his epic play, JULIUS CAESER, says, "...let me have men about me that are fat...Cassius has a lean hungry look, he thinks too much, such men are dangerous". Situate Onofiok Luke in the 'Cassius stereotype', and see what you get. Is he fat? Emphatic no! Is he lean? The ayes have it! Being sleek headed, does he project a hungry, angry look? Far be it, for he is well polished and contentedly fed. Does he think too much? Yes, yes and yes! But, the positive thinking of a Philosopher- king, that reasonably liberates and heals our bruised world. Little wonder, Governor Godswill Akpabio, unlike Julius Caeser abhorred lean Cassius, welcomes the association of Luke. He has proved to be a loyal mentee and harmless as the earthworm to his mentor. Even to the larger State, Nation and world, this Youth leader has emerged an idol of progress, change and social reform, which brings me to the second thought.

French Emperor and folk hero, Napoleon Bonaparte(1769-1821), in his time dominated world headlines with outstanding military triumphs and conquests. His most famous line was, "Give me but a firm spot to stand on and I will move the world", and when he had the chance, Bonaparte did move the world. Bonaparte's words are self fulfilling in Hon. Luke. It takes me to the second point, about this one time student leader and activist, who got a chance window of opportunity to stand on a platform offered by Gov. Akpabio, to literally move the world about him.

The third fact, a manifest fruition of the second above, refers the keynote address, titled, THIS IS YOUR CHANCE, Luke gave on April 11, 2013. The event was the inauguration by Speaker Sam Ikon of the 15 Interns who emerged successful as Pioneers of The Onofiok Luke Legislative Internship Programme, TOLLIP. The programme which was widely advertised, and first of its kind in Nigeria, is tailored to train the interns in the business of legislative practice and equip them for leadership. Its broader sidekicks, entail learning of Financial Management, Small and Medium scale Entrepreneurship, Volunteerism and Alternative Dispute Resolution. To achieve this, experts, scholars and tested professionals in relevant disciplines have been drafted as Resource Persons to run the programme within the period of internship akin to Reality Television Shows. At the end of the programme, interns are expected to have a grasp of local and global affairs, and in the visioners(Luke), words, "...be able to think outside the box, which is the least capacity a contemporary leader needs."


The interns, five from Nsit Ubium State Constituency which Barr. Luke represents in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, AKHA, four from uniformed organizations, three from the Senatorial Districts that make up the State and three from the Nigeria Youth Parliament, which Luke served as its first ever Speaker explain the demographic spread of the selected.

Before that August gathering, esteemed by the presence of Rt. Hon. Sam Ikon, Speaker of the AKHA, the leadership of the House and a complement of Honourable members who turned out massively to demonstrate solidarity, Luke in his speech titled, THIS IS YOUR CHANCE, roused the interns to brace up saying, "...the true worth of an individual is not measured by his financial wealth, but by the combined value of his intellectual ability and character. This is therefore a chance for these fifteen young persons to climb the rungs of the ladder of learning in the hope of arriving at the apex of intellectual engagement in a world where race, nepotism, tribe, religion and other mundane traits have no reckoning. THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO LEARN, GRAB IT." He charged them.

Earlier, Luke stated unambiguously, his motivation, sans politics, for undertaking to bankroll this expensive internship programme, which he vowed to institutionalize. "As a young student leader", he explained," I had always desired for a platform from where to launch to higher heights, a shoulder to lean on and persons to learn from. Then it seemed as though, there was a drought of such desires. That formed the basis of my avowed commitment and desire to provide a platform for others when the opportunity presented itself." He did not fail to acknowledge that Gov. Akpabio offered him the firm spot to stand on, from whence, he is currently moving the world through tremendous investment in others and creating opportunities for many people.

Hon. Luke to his interns gave the animating and energizing brief, "THIS IS YOUR CHANCE, GRAB IT" To this resilient Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation and Finance, I can only roar and inflame his passion the more, "HON LUKE, THIS IS YOUR CHANCE, GRAB IT AND MOVE THE WORLD." Then to all folks who read this page, I now give the plea, THIS IS OUR CHANCE,LET'S GRAB IT.
James Ene Henshaw is the authour of the play, ThIS IS OUR CHANCE. That inspired theme, elected by Hon. Luke to tag his exhortation of the interns , has become an aphorism that shapes, instructs, and endows iconoclasts, activists, reformers and progressives, like him, undertake to improve the world and positively affect the lives of those God brings under their canopy of influence. You too can make a difference and take the chances, that thrust upon you, wherever you are and whatever your station in life to make a difference. It is on this score that I share with you the end note on TOLLIP, as a vision, with the words of Abraham Lincoln, "Man owes humanity without question to leave every environment better than he met it" . You are that man. Join the fray to make the world a better place for others and the next generation.