From Everest Ezihe, Agbor Uvuru
Barr. Success Obioma Akagburuonye, a reverred philanthropist has assured Nigerians that despite high level betrayals, disappointments, ingratitude and discouragements he has received from some people he magnanimously helped in life, that he will never relent in his natural commitments of helping humanity and serving God in truth and spirit.
Akagburuonye who is the the founder, financier and global coordinator of Hope Rising For Imolites(Olile Anya Di), a sociopolitical Non Governmental Organization, NGO disclosed this recently while addressing the enlarged members of 2025 Mbaise District of Assemblies of God Church Easter Retreat Committee and beneficiaries of his mini traders empowerment programmes at the organization’s National Secretariat, Ogbor Uvuru in Aboh Mbaise LGA of Imo State as part of his multi million Naira Easter empowerment programme he started on Easter Sunday Service at Assemblies of God Church Mbaise District Headquarters, Uvuru.
The Philanthropist who splashed over 35m Naira (thirty five million Naira)as part of his strategic visions of creating 10 to 20 millionaires annually from members of Assemblies of God Church, Mbaise district who have traceable of means of livelihood but needs assistance for upliftment as well as in appreciation to those who worked tirelessly to ensure the success of the historic retreat.
According to him, “I was almost getting discouraged of helping people because of people’s penchant for ingratitude, entitlement mentality and gross disappointing nature.
“One day, God opened my eyes to read the biblical book of Proverbs 17 vs13, and I was totally shocked as the quotation says “who ever pays good with evil, evil will never depart from his house”. I then asked myself, if God has condemned ingratitude and wickedness, why do I waste my time, chasing somebody because he offended me, he paid me bad for my goodness.
“It’s certainly unnecessary, because God is all knowing. He knows the appropriate time to reward the person or persons. You see, some people thinks they are smart, they do all sorts of cutting corners, whether in the office or in whatever role you give to them,they must manipulate the system just for their selfish interest. They considered themselves smart and intelligent, but one thing is obvious, most often, when they retired from active services, they will unknownly start suffering the consequences of what they did in multiple fold.
“There are always consequences for being dubious and for every sin against God and man, often people thinks they are smart, no, no, no, they are just fooling themselves. 1Timothy 6vs24, people must guide their lives jealously. Patience pays, because God’s time is always the best.
“I know that there’s what is called captivating and fighting spirits. There are people that their looks does not deserve mercy but they have find mercy and favour in the hands of God. If God chooses to bless them, definitely, He’s not going to seek the opinion of your Pastor or any member of the church, thus why, God’s blessings adds no pain nor maketh any sorrow.
“He doesn’t consider anything, if He wants to bless you. It’s only in serving and worshipping God, that you have His unconditional blessings and mercy.
“I was almost getting discouraged of helping people because of people’s ingratitude and gross disappointment nature, one day God opened my eyes to read the biblical book of Proverbs 17vs13, and I was totally shocked as the quotation says “who ever pays good with evil, evil will never depart from his house”. I then asked myself, if God has condemned ingratitude and wickedness why do I waste my time chasing somebody because he offended me, he paid me bad for my goodness. It’s certainly unnecessary because God is all knowing, He knows the appropriate time to reward the person.
” You see some people they are smart, they do all sorts of cutting corners, whether in the office or whatever role you give to them they must manipulate. They considered themselves smart but one thing is obvious, most often when they retired, you see the consequences. There’s always consequences for being dubiously smart, often people thinks they are smart they are just fooling themselves. 1 Timothy 6vs24, people must guide their lives jealously. Patience pays because God’s time is always the best.
“The Bible is old but you find new things in it every day. When I was in Prison detention, I read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, three times and I discovered some scriptures that’s helping me in life and its challenges. I was getting discouraged in doing charity and philanthropy because of the ways people were abusing the privileges with ingratitude and entitlement mentality.
“This was why 9 out of the 10 lepers Jesus Christ healed did not deem it fit to come back for gratitude and appreciation. The 9 lepers, may have had this mentality, that is, is he not the son of God ?, if He did not heal us what else can He do? . Similarly, some people have this mindset that because he’s a big man, it’s his obligatory social responsibilities to help them. If it’s in you, if somebody helps you and you are asking is it the much he can give ?, I know he has more than enough. It’s a curse of envy that can stop anybody from progressing, because it pays to have a grateful heart.
“Am grateful to God today that He is using me to bless people and institutions, honestly, I don’t do these things on my own volition. It’s through the inspiration and directives of God and the Holy spirit, so when I was being discouraged about people borrowing money from me and they’ll not pay back, with an ordersity of an entitlement mentality.
“Whatever you see me doing, take it home, that God’s hands are on it, just pray and tarry along with me, whether you are benefitting or not, because in life, anything that goes around comes around. Definitely, in one way or the other, it will get to your turn.
“We would have concluded this on that Easter day in the Church but due to rowdiness even though it was expected. I thanked the leaders for bringing the situation under control. I have also gotten God’s approval to empower two persons in each of the 12 sections of the district and by next year, with the level of testimonies filtering in, people will be encouraged and people will be enthusiastic about doing things for God” he assured.
Among the sections that constitutes the district are Abor Urban, Ekwereazu, Ahiazu, Mbato, Enyiogugu, Ekwereazu 1, Mbutu Ukwuato, Ekwereazu 2, Ezi East, and Ezi West, while some of the beneficiaries are Messrs Rose Dinna, Virginia Nwogu, Cordelia Nwaiwu, Ulochi Uba, Chikaodi Akalaonu, Ngozi Amadiukwu, Perpetua Njoku, Uchenna Onwuemedo,Eugenia Amadi, Christiana Okorie, and Angela Eke,
“Most of you know my mother, Nwa-afo very well, most of the things am doing today, I copied from her. Am like a son of a mechanic, my parents were repairing cars, I learnt to repair cars, on growing up, my father observed and said, this one can succeed me, he should go and learn Automobile Engineering, today am not only an Automobile Engineer, I assembly’s cars.
” In life, never you forget the days of your little beginnings. I don’t know what any body can say or do to me that can make me leave Assemblies of God Church. I was shocked to my marrow when I went to Seattle in United States of America, USA to see Lilian Park, immediately I introduced myself as the son of Nwa-afo Amuchie, she shouted and said that in her 82 years in Nigeria that my mother was her friend and her student, some of you may have read the letter she wrote to her when we commissioned the first Assemblies of God Church building, God built for Himself in Ogbor Uvuru Mbaise.
“How further do you explain the goodness of God ,except if you are rooted in Him, you will definitely regenerate. The greatest joy I have is that my mother who will be 104 years old in December this year is still alive, healthy, hearty and still talks sense because there are people not up to her age but they are no longer comprehending.
“If you are still joking in Assemblies of God Church, you better sit up. You may be hearing about testimonies in the Bible but these ones are happening before you and me.
“My mother never joked with first fruits and tithe payment, never joked with giving things to men of God. Never joked with fasting and prayer. She was committed in reading Bible recitations with memory verses, then the children of Nwa-afo were known for these, excerpt me who hated fasting and prayer with passion.
“It was a serious problem asking me to come to church, my mother will be crying and telling me that time shall come when I will realized the importance of fasting and praying. Recalled that even Jesus Christ in one of the episodes said that this kind problem cannot be handled without fasting and prayer.
“Many of us have lost grips of what Bible Class is meant for, even my father who died early as an illiterate, understands that the Bible was written through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to advise, encourage and teach us. The Bible is old but you find new things in it every day.
“When I was in Prison detention, I read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, three times, and I discovered some scriptures that’s helping me in life and its challenges.
“Don’t ever expect people to fear you but rather expect people to have regards to you and then respect you. There are two types of respects, the respect of strength and due respect.
“Am grateful to God today that God is using me to bless people and institutions, honestly, I don’t do these things on my volition. It’s through the inspiration and directives of God, so when I was being discouraged about people borrowing money and they’ll not pay back
He enjoined them not be intimidated because Assemblies of God Church is God’s favoured. That God deals with you with the way you deal with Him.
Akagburuonye pointed out that the essence of education is to be educated by passing through an institution and allowing the institution to pass through you.
The astute politician further observed that the Lawyers said they are learned because “any document that comes their way, they will critically read it and make the necessary interpretations , however the way one Lawyer will interprete the document is not the same way another Lawyer will interprete it even though it’s the same document.
He concluded by saying”Don’t give respect with pride you must do it with humility. Thus why you must have regards with somebody before you respect the person.
Don’t ever expect people to fear you but rather expect people to have regards to you and then respect you. There are two types of respects, the respect of strength and due respect.
Rev. Vitalis Okechukwu Onyenekeje, the General Superintendent Assemblies of God Church Mbaise District Headquarters Uvuru expressed gratitude to Chief Success Obioma Akagburuonye popularly known as Akaraugo Mbaise for his generosity and philanthropy to most of the church members so as to boost their business and career opportunities.
Onyenekeje prayed to God to enlarge the coast of the Philanthropist with good health and prosperity.
He assured of the church commitments in monitoring the beneficiaries so as to ensure maximum utilization of the funds.
Also responding, two of the beneficiaries, Mrs Christiana Okorie and Perpetua Njoku thanked Akagburuonye for being the husband of the widows and poorest of the poor asking God for His infinite mercies and grace upon him and his family.
They reiterated the need for them to maximize the seed money of 250,000= ( Two Hundred Fifty thousand Naira) to each of the 24 rural petty traders.
