I remember sleeping on the mat and waking up to find larva and ants on your body and you battled to pick them out. I remember going to pick bones from the slaughter slab with which we made soup to eat. I remember the difficulties of going to the farm to make heaps for people in order to make money, carry heavy load on the head to make money in order to live. I remember when school uniforms were our Christmas wearsGuided by biblical principles and injunctions I was very faithful as a motor park tout in Gboko
Dr. Samuel Ioraer Ortom is the Governor of Benue state. On Wednesday, 6th July, 2011, during his screening on the floor of the Senate as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he told Senators a moving story of his life which compelled them to ask him to take a bow and go.
Senators were stirred by an account of his background as a school dropout, a motor park tout and one who struggled to attain education through very difficult means. After running through his curriculum vitae, Senator Ehigie Uzamere, moved a motion, asking the Senate to allow him to take a bow without further questions because of his sincerity in uncovering his background. Senators described him as a veritable bridge between the poor and the rich.
In this exclusive interview with Saturday Vanguard, he spoke more about his life. Excerpt:
So much have been heard about your life and your rise from grass to this enviable positions, how did all begin?
Well, I want to give glory to God. I was born on the 23rd of April, 1961 in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State. My father , now late, was a retired Police Sergeant, David Ortom Adorogo of Mbabegha Clan, Nzorov District, Nongov, and my mother, late Wajina Ortom Adorogo. I was enrolled into the St. John’s Primary School, Gboko, in 1970 but moved to St. Catherine’s Primary School, Makurdi in 1974 where I completed my primary education in 1976. I was admitted into Idah Secondary Commercial College, Idah in Kogi State in 1976.
Just like every other child. I had an aspiration to be a medical doctor right from my primary school and secondary school days. But unfortunately, my secondary education was truncated in form three in 1979 due to my father’s retirement from the Police. I came back to Gboko on holiday just like every other child from Idah, which was then part of the present day Benue, for holiday but couldn’t go back to school because there was no transportation fare.
But instead of idling away or taking to social vices, I decided to join the motor park business. It was at the park that a Good Samaritan taught me how to drive a car perhaps because of my honesty and dedication to duty. But just before that move, I must confess that I came in contact with the Lord Jesus Christ. I accepted Christ and gave my life to God completely, I became a born again Christian. In fact, the turning point in my life was that singular move and decision to embrace Christ.
And that was the time I completely embraced the precepts of the Book of Job: 36 verse 11 which says “If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures. And verse 12 which also says, “But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.”
From this passage I found that the recipe for success and failure was imbedded in the scriptures. God made it clear to me that if I desired to succeed I must have faith in Him and also be determined and work hard, because God can make it happen. I remember that the Bible also says ‘seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all other things shall be added unto you.’
So guided by these biblical principles and injunctions I was very faithful; as a motor park tout in Gboko. I was distinct and different, I was decent in my conduct and behaviour because of my christian background. And as a motor conductor every driver clamoured to work with me. I later found myself as a taxi driver. I did well. I was disciplined, I conducted myself as a Christian. While there I found myself working with a Christian brother, Pa Samuel Ihugh, an elder in Gboko who loved the Lord and was doing a lot for the Christian community there.
He employed me as a driver, I worked with him, and the job excited me because I could use his Peugeot vehicle at that time to move around to preach and propagate the gospel. He was very good and kind to me. I was excited working with him and I eventually got married and had a family. And he was able to take care of us and we continued with life.
But one day, I remember that even after close of work, I usually waited behind in case there was any errand I could run for him, just as I was waiting outside, I noticed that the wind blew part of a newspaper towards me, in my eagerness to read something while waiting, I picked the paper, and in it, I read an advertisement of the National School of Salesmanship Manchester, England, by correspondent.
That was the beginning of my being launched into academics. I went through it and I was interested. I applied, and within two weeks I got a reply and received a brochure; of how people went through the school, even people who dropped out of school but made up their deficiencies got their masters and Ph.d degree and everything; and were working in prestigious places.
I got interested, and I wrote and applied and within two years I earned a Diploma in Salesmanship, and that inspired me. In two years, precisely in 1984 I studied hard and got it. I was indeed inspired to sit for tutorials to get my GCE. It may amaze you to know that I sat for GCE once and made four credits.
I kept toiling on, and continued working with my boss. But after sometime, with my Diploma I searched for greener pasture, so I went ahead and by the grace of God started work with Pepsi Cola International, then Gyado Foods in Makurdi, as a Salesman Driver; and within one one year, I got four promotions and rose to a substantive Sales Manager, chauffeur driven. It was God. I couldn’t imagine that I, who was a sales man, driving all those big trucks and trailers was being chauffeur driven.
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