March 28, 2024

Chief Edward Onoja Saved Me From Clutch of Depression By Helping Me Secure a Pensionable Job – Obadiah Samuel Eta

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It’s often said that one who fails to write and acknowledge one’s life story will someday be unavailable to write it explicitly due to the ephemeral nature of life. At that point, someone else somewhere will help one to write the story and it may not be accurate.

So, I have chosen to write my story and my #testCEDOnial.

I am Obadiah Samuel Eta. A native of Bassa Local Government, Kogi State. A graduate of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts and Humanity, Kogi State University, Anyigba. I graduated in 2019 and had to work almost every now and then to sort out my bills and cater for my immediate family’s needs due to the harsh economic reality of the country and specifically Kogi State.

Life became much harder mentally and psychologically whilst wading through because of unemployment and the scarcity of jobs in the country.

I wrote countless applications to reputable organizations to express my readiness to work with little or no supervision but all efforts yielded no fruitful results until I had an engagement with a hotel (EdgeDrive) were I was employed as “House Keeper” and later as “receptionist”.

Of course, I would ordinarily have thrown that off as a graduate with striking credentials but life was hard and so, I thought I should start somewhere even when the monthly pay wasn’t commensurate with work I had to do.

In an uncertain world coupled with frustrations of being unemployed as the first fruit of my family with so much responsibility to cater for, I mustered the courage to approach His Excellency, Chief Edward David Onoja who I had read and heard to be magnanimous and humane through one of his aides, Hon. Felix Omachoko Solomon , SSA on Political Matters. It was unfortunately a build up to election period, so His Excellency, Chief Edward David Onoja was preoccupied with campaign activities and his unavailability became unavoidable.

While being depressed and in a state of urgency, I had the second thought of connecting with His Excellency Chief Edward David Onoja through any of the social media platforms and specifically WhatsApp and I finally approached him informally, dropping a WhatsApp massage; introducing myself and the need for him to come to my rescue by whichever means as I had reached my breaking point with nowhere else to turn.

Of course, it was just a trial and so, I wasn’t expecting a feedback because it is almost the nature of most of our leaders to snub messages especially when coming from somebody they don’t know or are not connected with. Whilst praying and hoping for the best, lo and behold His Excellency replied without asking a question that I should send my curriculum vitae (CV) in soft copy directly to him.

The next instruction I got was to write an application to Kogi State Polytechnic applying for the post of an assistant lecturer.

I did. Even though I was not too optimistic about the outcome. But when I got called for an interview, I began to hope again and believe there was a better life ahead of me.

That hope soon faded when I did not get any feedback.

Some months later while on the street hustling and submitting more applications, I got a call from his aide that I initially wanted using to approach His Excellency asking for my whereabouts. I told him about my location and in less than 20 minutes he drove to where I was and asked that I enter his car; that the Deputy Governor requested my presence.

A small me having an interface with the Deputy Governor? Well, an applicant should be courageous and confident even though my thought was laced with mixed reactions because I had no idea about what His Excellency requested my presence.

In my usual imagination, I was already rehearsing on how to present my still unemployed case to His Excellency, Chief Edward David Onoja and to let him know I did not hear from the institution.

On arrival and surprisingly, the first statement I heard from His Excellency is “Congratulations” you have been employed into Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja as Assistant Lecturer. Here’s your appointment letter and I hope you utilize this opportunity towards imparting and contributing your quota in developing the state positively.

You know the feeling, I initially thought I was dreaming. I shed tears and never thought I’d be given this appointment from someone I never met, never worked for or even had interactions with prior to my graduation and after rounding off my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

This was how my upward trajectory in life began and I will forever remain eternally grateful to a man who gave me a pensionable life.

Thank you His Excellency, Chief Edward David Onoja. My thoughts and prayers will forever remain with you. This is my #testCEDOnial.

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