Akwa Ibom, Udom Inoyo, and the New Testament (1)

By Tom FredFish

The periodization in the Bible's time, which divides the Holy Scripture into old and new testament, should be enough enlightenment to mankind that life on earth has two sides of a coin, a beginning, and an end. Versions in the both testaments in the bible maintained expressions and anecdotes of religious and political activists involving prophets who performed the role of spiritual conscience.

The apparent difference in both versions of the book is manifested onefold: in the old testament, you have to bring a lamb as a sacrifice before your sin is forgiven, while in the new testament, following the "atonement" by Jesus Christ through his crucifixion, all one has to do, according to Christian teachings, is repentance and anchoring faith in God through Christ and get your sins automatically forgiven.

That ancient practice in the Bible somehow conferred the exclusive right to sin to the wealthy, since they could afford to sacrifice many lambs as they want, while others who sin and cannot afford to buy a lamb, can die, and rot in hell.

The inequality and the unbalanced contract in the old testament gave rise to the new testament, contract, or covenant to register his displeasure and partner with men.

As the 2023 governorship election draws closer in Akwa Ibom state, discussion on the type and quality of the governor that the people want gave birth to two dominant camps. The first, are those who believe that politicians who give a handout, (interpreted in Ibibio dialect as anò ówo nkpö) are best suited for the position because they usually solve the financial problems of people and that money would 'flow' on the streets when they assume office. To them, the benefit may be temporary, but it has the effect of solving an immediate threat of hunger and deprivation.

The second camp is made up of those who think that giving handouts create more problems for the people than solving them and that the most persons suited for governor are those who will take deliberate steps to expose the citizens on the avenues to create wealth for themselves, in a sustainable way, by training and empowering them with new thinking and various skills to be self-reliant.

Those who belong to the second school of thought contend that with the global shift to focus on skills, technology, and an economy based on self-reliance, giving handouts is old fashion with intent to perpetuate the people to permanent servitude and deprive them the much-needed financial emancipation and self respect.

The saying that “give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime” implies that the ability to work is of greater benefit to one than a one-off or repeated handouts. From experiences and test cases in point, it has been established through history that while handouts can be reasonable in the short term, it is probably not the best and most optimal long-term strategy to build Akwa Ibom youth, thus, should be swept beneath the old testaments.

A few examples come to mind. First, between parents and children. When children are given everything they ask for with no sense of responsibility or appreciation, they do not turn out to be the model citizens their wealthy parents would hope for. While kids that are made to understand that they need to work to achieve all they desire in life, tend to be more successful and responsible.

Second, is the history of the Church in Africa. With the coming of the church in Africa, the missionaries wanted to attract African people to embrace Christianity, hence luring them through material incentives to get the people to attend services and be committed to churches. But it never met with the genuine commitment expected from the worshippers. When the missionaries started sending intelligent children to get an education and become useful in life, the perception of the people changed. They realized that the motivation to learn and be better came from within, internal and not external.

Third, is a multinational corporation and corporate social responsibility. A few multinational companies took to giving monthly handouts to the youths in some parts of Nigeria as requested and agreed upon by the youths of those communities. The action made the youths believe that they do not need to work or invest in their futures. On the other hand, some companies that gave scholarships and in some cases jobs to the youths saw the result when they graduated from school, work and returned to give handouts to their friends, as well as give back to the community they came from and the nation at large.

In effect, teaching one to be self-reliant and independent is the new testament and covenant that Akwa Ibom people have come to appreciate, than a handout.

This new testament is in line with the policy of the former Vice-Chairman of ExxonMobil Companies in Nigeria, Mr. Udom Inoyo who initiated a foundation - Inoyo Toro, to empower Akwa Ibom teachers for more than a decade because he believes that every child should have the right to receive the quality education needed to overcome future obstacles and such education can only stem from a well-motivated and trained teacher.

Positive results from Mr. Inoyo's new testament and Akwa Ibom's teachers' encounters with his foundation have continued to pour in daily.

Dr. Regina Udo John, a mathematics teacher at the State College, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State who is a two-time winner of the Foundation Award, believes that no kind of handouts would have changed her life more than the one gotten from the Inoyo Toro foundation.

In a short video posted by the foundation on February 9, 2020,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG0JonZ1170, monitored by this author on YouTube, Dr. Udo said: "The Inoyo Toro foundation gave me the required training and finance that changed my life for good. I didn't know anybody in the foundation as at when I was invited for the very transparent selection process. I am very delighted to have won the award because the award catapulted my economic status and enhanced my teaching career to the next level, placing me at the top. Before now, Nigerians and my pupils see mathematics as abstract but through the Inoyo Toro Foundation training, that I got, it compels me to make mathematics easier for them by bringing real-life situation for pupils to understand. I use Annang Language and Ibibio to get geometric objects interpreted to local names that allow students to relate and understand mathematics easily."

"The cash prize I got from the foundation helped my life and economy. I was motivated to use the money to pursue a Ph.D. programme in Mathematics and co-authored three national mathematics textbooks in Nigeria. May God bless Mr. Udom Inoyo for changing my life."

Dr. Udo is a two-time winner of the prize money. She was awarded N250, 000 for first prize in mathematics in 2014, and N500, 000 when she won the Gand Mentor Prize in 2016.

From the above testimonies by Dr. Udo, and that of Mr. Enefiok Joseph Okpon, who called himself the "greatest beneficiary" of Mr. Inoyo's covenant with teachers, there is no doubt that Inoyo's new testament is making waves of positive impact on the lives of Akwa Ibom people. Mr. Okpon, a senior mathematics teacher in Etinan Institute said:

"I am the greatest beneficiary of the Inoyo Toro foundation having won a huge sum of money five times. I didn't know anyone in the foundation before I won the awards. I am very glad that the foundation trained and motivated me to develop my pupils adequately. I have developed successful graduates particularly medical doctors, who studied overseas due to my influence in their lives. The money that the foundation gave me improved my financial status. I was able to add a little amount to acquire a piece of land where I am building my house and also bought a vehicle. May God bless Udom Inoyo for empowering me beyond my dreams."

Available records revealed that Mr. Okpon had won the Grand Mentor Prize of 500, 000 three times, and a First Price Award of N250, 000 twice.

...to be continued.

Dr. Tom FredFish is a journalist and lecturer at the International Institute of Journalism, IIJ, Uyo.

Summary pls.
Don't call me lazy na becos nobi money matter