In Search of Greatness

He was 3 years old when he lost his father
Life became difficult for his family because His father was the breadwinner
The death of his father kicked off an era of untold hardship for them.
His mother took up menial farm jobs
She worked as a labourer to put food on their table.
He would often join his mother after school hours for farm work.
As he is helping out, he rakes together chops of wood that will serve as fuel to cook their dinner.
Before he could finish his primary education, he dropped out of school.
His mother could not afford his education anymore.
He desired to be educated
He had an aunt in the city
His aunt’s husband worked with a foremost big bank in Nigeria.
His aunt could fund his education if she desired
But she decided she was going to learn photography
She told his mum, and his mum agreed.
They ran the idea through him; however, he rejected it
He told them he wanted to go to school.
They tricked him into learning the trade and he would go to school after some months
They also made a plan for him to work in the studio while he earns 5 naira monthly.

After several months, it was clear to him that he was tricked into the deal and no one had any intention of sending him to school.
He developed a plan
He worked at the photography studio part-time
And he started rendering services at the largest market in his town.
He would help buyers carry their goods to their desired location — porterage.
The porterage service pays him 5 naira in a week.
This means he made 4 times what he was making in the studio in a month.
He paid for his external exams by himself.
He sat for it and passed.
He got admission and went ahead to support himself through secondary and tertiary education with support from his family.

He thought earning a certificate would bring a new lease of life for him and his family
It was the time when certificate was a thing in Nigeria
Graduates would easily secure good jobs
But it seems the universe or whoever was controlling the affairs of the world, had other plans
It was another phase of hardship
The break the family felt they deserved after 20 years of losing their dad did not come easily.

He heard that the Nigerian Army was doing recruitment
He applied
His friend applied
He wrote exams for both of them
He was one of the top performers in the exams
They were invited to Lagos
All of the applicants were in a line, and he was at the front.
As they were on the line, one of the soldiers came and started beating them angrily
For some reason, he focused on him and continually beat him until he left the front line.
He was sad, angry, and bittered.
He had a lot of mixed emotions.
His friend got the job
He did not.
He wrote the exam for his friend.
Wow.
He could not understand his life.

A little break came
He got a job with a functioning government agency in his state
He was still living in abject poverty
At this time, he already had a family
He was already depressed.
He would walk many kilometres daily to get to work
It was not the life he bargained for
It was not the life he hoped for when he paid through his nose throughout his education.
He was tired
He gave up
He wrote his resignation letter and submitted it
When his boss saw it,
He was disappointed in him
He sat him down and told him his life story and how he got to the top
He encouraged him to give it more time
His boss’s story was an inspiring one
He believed once again
He tore the letter

A turning point came
He discovered a huge gap in the civil service
He noticed the quality of life of workers had drastically reduced.
He noticed they had no voice
He heard their cries and took it up
He started championing the cause at local and national level
He met people
He grew in influence
The break happened in no small way
He was the voice that stood when everyone else was afraid.
He brought relief to them.
He was instrumental in many changes within the civil service.
He rose to become a national figure and led the charge on a bigger platform.
His rising influence made him a key part of government programs
The years of shame were covered in glory

PS: I have always wanted to write this story, but I struggled to word it. So, I waited. Over a week ago, I received a message from a young man in his twenties, ‘’How can I discover my purpose? Why am I here?’’ I heard his cry in my Spirit and told him to wait. I wanted to respond in a comprehensive manner and I do this better in writing or teaching. But I choose to write. This is the first of many series on this topic. The first step is hearing the cries of the people you have been sent to.