*Don’t Despair, Eminence Urges Young Entrepreneurs*
……appeals to them to support Gov Eno’s Entrepreneurial Devt Drive
Idy Afahaene
The Managing Director of Eminence Oil and Chemicals Ltd, Obong Emmanuel Okon has mentioned discipline, contentment and patient as factors that would help young people in business and entrepreneurial endeavours to grow big.
Obong Okon, popularly known as Eminence, said this while hosting young business men of Akwa Ibom origin who came to share the joy of his birthday with him, in his office in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, today, October 12, 2023.
“I always advice young people who want to make it big in business to have three virtues, discipline, contentment and patient. It is what has seen me to this level. I, therefore, advise all of you to make these virtues your mate.These virtues have kept me strong,” he said.
He said there are times businesses face hard times and only these virtues can keep young people in business going.
He took them through the rudiments of the oil and gas business, and asked those who are interested in the sector to seek opportunities which are varied in the sector, and invest in it.
He told the story of his engagements in the sector which he started as an employee, and ended up as an employer, having gone through mentorship and tutorship in the place he worked.
Obong Okon also told the young entrepreneurs to support Governor Umo Eno’s programmes on E
entrepreneurial development, maintaining that the Governor, being an entrepreneur himself, “knows it is through entrepreneurship that we can build the middle class which is the simplest route to leaving the poverty class to the class of the privileged who are the pivots of growth and progress in the society.”
He particularly mentioned the Ibom Leadership and Entrepreneuriship Centre, Ibom-LED, as an initiative worthy of support, and promise to send 5 of the young people present for training in the centre.
Mr Iboro Akpan, a welding and fabrication technician who led the group said Obong Okon is a model for upcoming entrepreneurs in the state, and pledged to support Gov Eno’s programmes for young business people.
“We are here to pay homage to a mentor who we have watched from a distance. Sir, you are a great inspiration to us. Celebrating you is celebrating business excellence, integrity and honour. We will support Governor Umo Eno in the area of entrepreneurial development by urging our members to open branches of their businesses in Akwa Ibom. We also call on the Governor to support us even we operate outside the state, because our capital flight is about 80 percent to Akwa Ibom State”
Obong Okon whose birthday is today is a 1991 graduate of the University of Uyo who worked as Finance Officer in two financial institutions, Baron Finance Company and Branch manager, Sterling Funds, Branch manager, Pizy Finance and Investment Ltd and Head of Training, Gamac Oil and Gas Ltd before setting up Eminence Oil and Gas Ltd, E Plus Projects Ltd, Davania Ltd, Centripetal Global Services Ltd with interests in oil, gas, construction, logistics and project management services. He is also Chairman of the NNPC Dealers Forum, South South, Chairman, Table Tennis Section, Shell Club, Port Harcourt and a stakeholder of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP.
