By CrossRiverWatch Admin
There are two major categories of persons living on earth and shall be two major categories after the earth life according to the Bible book of Matthew 25: 31-46. The scripture equally stated two major action course that differentiates the two group from each other now and shall do so in the after earth life.
The first group are in the category of those who appreciate and recognize the eternal reality that people of all races, good and bad, rich and poor, free born and slaves, beautiful and ugly are all creation of God, ultimately, children of God.
All their actions and basis for existence stem from the altruistic and divine angle of being there for their fellow human beings and be committed to leaning a shoulder at all times and at all places for their less privileged ones in the society.
Because they cherish the sanctity of human life and the common root all mankind is traceable to, God, they therefore view the hunger/starvation of one as hunger and starvation of all, the thirst of one as thirst of all, accommodate a stranger as one of their own, sees the nakedness of one as nakedness of all, care and visit the sick because we are all involved in mankind and the vicissitudes of man’s journey through mortality; and also visit the prisoners as any of us could have been prisoner, just as there are categories of prisoners.
These are the category of human beings which Jesus Christ in the above Bible scripture passages refers to as “Sheep” who will be separated and placed on Christ right hand, while their ultimate reward will be the blessings of salvation and eternal life after the day of reckoning.
The second category of persons are those whose visions about life here and post-mortality is completely warped, clouded with mundanity and enslaved by conceited self-importance and blinded by otiose concerns.
It is these category of persons engrossed in unprofitable games and things that are of no worth to the eternal well-being of the individual that Jesus Christ refers to as the “Goats”, whose place is at the left hand side of Jesus Christ, while their eternal home is the place prepared for the devil and his angels.
Tuesday, January 10, 2017 at the event marking the rescheduled International day for the Disabled held at the conference hall of the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Social Welfare, Calabar, the Chief of Staff to Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River, the personality/qualities of Hon. Martin Orim, the Chief of staff to Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River was made manifest to many.
Hon. Orim’s good works and philanthropic activities were rewarded as he was among the five persons including the governor honoured with an award by the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities, Cross River chapter for his enormous contributions to the association and it members.
The following day, being January 11, 2017 was the birthday of the Chief of Staff, Hon. Martin Orim. Many will think the birthday of a man holding such prominent position in government will lockdown Transcorp Metropolitan Hotel, Calabar, embarking on spending spree and frivolities, inviting thousands of personalities as should have been the case with most Nigerian politicians. He was not found in the Transcorp, nor in any of the prominent hotels in Calabar, neighbouring states, nor in Abuja and Lagos.
Guess what, the Ubang born humility personified Chief of Staff to Governor Ayade acted true to the principles and tenets of men and women who appreciate the divine connectivity of humanity and fully understand the import of living a life of sacrifice and service to others especially the not-so-fortunate in the society, a beautiful lesson he received from his political father and mother, Dr. Frank and Mrs. Elizabeth Ayade, and his direct boss, Governor Ben Ayade.
This he did by first inviting a few friends and staff of his at the Governor’s office to accompany him to the great St. Charles L’wanga Catholic Church, Essien Town, Calabar for a brief thanksgiving mass service to appreciate God for all that he has done for his life, for additional 365 days added to his life, for blessings and protection to his family members, political parents and direct boss, as well as his staff and friends.
In a short exhortation during the thanksgiving service, Rev. Fr. Bob Ettah, who is also the Special Adviser to Governor Ben Ayade on Religious Matters, gave a brief analogue of a husband who erroneously refused to eat a delicious food prepared by his wife, because he has known her as a bad cook. The man did not however realized that wife has secretly undergone lessons in cookery, and after refusing to eat the richly balanced diet by the wife and the food was poured out, he ended up picking up the crumbs of the food and leaking the plates after perceiving the aroma from the poured food.
Rev. Fr. Ettah explained that those who refused to come in thanksgiving before god are like the man who refused his wife’s meal only to eat the crumbs. However, the man of God disclosed that the person who comes in thanksgiving before the Lord is the man who partook of the wife’s food as it was prepared without complaining, and that the Chief of Staff has acted wisely by coming to say thank you for what God has done in his life, and that what God has ordained in his life will all be fulfilled.
He charged Orim to forgive all those who have crossed his path knowingly and unknowingly and also learn to forgive himself as unforgiving spirit only serves as an impediment on an individual’s path of progress and growth; stressing that God’s blessings are for every one of us but that such blessings may be delayed by our actions and inactions, the actions and inactions of others or by God Himself who know the appropriate time such blessings should get to an individual.
Citing Psalms 23, Rev. Fr. Ettah charged the Chief of Staff and other Christians to be reminded that life has its ups and downs and that for truly divine blessings to manifest, an individual will pass through difficulties, what the book of Psalms described as the “Valley of the shadow of death”, adding that without the cross, there would have been no Christ and without the Good Friday, there would have been no resurrection and salvation and eternal life to mankind.
Rev. Fr. Bob Who commended the wives of politicians for sustaining their husbands through constant prayers admonished and challenged Christian male politicians to up the momentum of their prayers to blossom their relationship with God, disclosing that he plans to organize regular fasting and prayer sessions for the Catholic and other Christian appointees who are interested.
From the Church, the Chief of Staff and those who accompanied him drove straight to the Motherless Babies Home at Uwanse, Calabar South to celebrate and cut his birthday cake with the motherless babies and staff of the home, and was received by the Officer In charge of the home, Mrs. Felicia Oti and conducted round the home where Hon. Orim interacted with the inmates and staff.
Speaking after cutting his birthday cake with the children of the home and other guests, the Chief of staff said that he is humbled first by the recognition of his sincere small contribution to the welfare of the persons with disabilities in the state who honoured with an award excellence.
Orim explained that celebrating his birthday with the motherless babies and those who have been abandoned gives him great joy. The Chief of Staff attributed his imbibing the spirit of giving, caring for the poor and being generous from his political parents, Dr. Frank and Mrs. Elizabeth Ayade and his boss, Governor Ben Ayade who taught him this path of honour and humility.
He also praised his beautiful and able wife, Mrs. Lucy Orim for standing by him in all circumstances and for being a stronger prayer warrior for the entire family, and for telling the truth always even if it hurts him.
Hon. Orim who donated food items and detergent worth thousands of naira also announced a cash donation of Two Hundred Thousand (N200, 000.00) Naira towards the upkeep of the home and further pledged a monthly Fifty Thousand (N50, 000.00) naira from his salary to the home.
He thanked Governor Ayade, his political mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Ayade who personally attended the birthday celebration with the motherless children, and other guests, including commissioners, Special Advisers, senior special Assistants, Special Assistants, and Personal Assistants, other appointees and invited guests for finding time to accompany him to celebrate his birthday with the Motherless Babies, and wished them celebrations in their own lives.
In her remarks, the political mother of the Chief of staff, Mrs. Elizabeth Ayade, wife of Dr. Frank Ayade described Hon. Orim as a very humble person and that it is his humility that has brought him so far and that his humility and good works shall take him to more higher and greater heights and responsibilities in the near future.
She disclosed that Orim is like his first son, and that she and the husband, Dr. Frank Ayade will always stand by the Chief of Staff and pray for him to continue to succeed in his present responsibility and future ones by the grace of God, adding, she thanked all who attended celebration and wished them well in all they do.
Good will messages were received from the Commissioner for Sustainable Development and Social Welfare, Hon. Oliver Orok, Commissioner for Health Dr. Asibong, Commissioner for ICT, and Chief Offa Aya Ebirigor, Chapter Chairmen of PDP, and the State Chairman of Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities among others.
High points of the celebration at the motherless Babies home Uwanse was the cutting of the birthday cake supported by his wife, political mother, inmates, staff and those who accompanied him to the home as well as the taking of various group photographs.
The birthday was rounded up in the evening with light refreshment of guests at the official residence of the Chief of Staff along MCC road, Calabar.
Hon. Martin Orim, the Chief of Staff to the amiable Governor of Cross River has by his words and actions in the past and at the celebration of his 43rd birthday that he is not only a man with the heart of gold but that in the midst of little and also in surplus, he is committed to sharing with his fellow human beings who are not so fortunate like him, not with pride but from the depth of humility; walking the path of those Christ refers to as the “Sheep” at the last day.
Hon. Orim has indeed answered Jesus Christ in the affirmative like John the beloved Apostle whom Christ asked, “do you love me three times, and added, feed my sheep and lambs. He has proven that he is committed to feeding Christ sheep within the limit of his resources.
Congratulation, the Chief of Staff for the widows, the orphans, the disable and the ordinary citizens!
Solomon Asha, is media aide to Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River.