WHY I’M IN LOVE WITH PASTOR UMO ENO – APOSTLE FIRSTBORN LAWRENCE
APOSTLE FIRSTBORN LAWRENCE is the CEO of Firstborn Group and President of Kings & Priests Leadership Initiative, a nondenominational Christian body set up to encourage pastors and ministers’ participation in politics and governance. He is a creative entrepreneur who has built his clothing business from micro to global standards, with diversified interest in domestic gas and housewares.
Lately, he has shown commitment in promoting the administration of Pastor Umo Eno through the media and conferences, with a weekly prayer meeting held in his business premises in Uyo. It is both his quiet humanitarian gestures and his ingenuity in business that attracted IMA NKANTA and EME ARTHUR for a chat with him – as excerpted here.
What motivated you to show so much love and support for Pastor Umo Eno?
Well, before the year 1999, it was a burden in my heart that believers should be part of governance in our state and nation. So, when democracy returned to Nigeria in 1999, I attended a political meeting and later formed a group, Christians in Politics to sensitize believers on active involvement in politics. The group was revived when Pastor Umo Eno emerged as the gubernatorial candidate of People’s Democratic Party in 2022.
I was so excited that my prayers for more than 20 years were answered. So, we joined in mobilizing for the election of Pastor Umo Eno as the governor of Akwa Ibom State.
Ever since he emerged as the Governor, are you impressed by what he’s doing?
Yes, absolutely. I’m impressed. I have been speaking on the radio severally and the other day, Mighty George asked me, assuming you see the Governor as you are stepping out of the studio, what would you say to him? I said, I will say to him, “Sir, we love you, we celebrate you, we support you. You cannot fail, those who desire you to fail will be disappointed, God is with you. We are praying for you and the Spirit of God is with you and in you.”
The Governor is someone with an excellent spirit and led by God. He is a humble man, he is an example of a good Christian and I don’t want him fail but excel in leadership. We love his compassionate spirit. He has helped the poor and the needy, he tries to bring justice into his governance. I’m not disappointed with him at all, that’s why I love him with passion. I love him and I know that he will succeed, no matter what is standing against him, God will defend him.
Talking about his support for the poor; we realize that you also have passion for the poor. How do you do it?
It’s not a coincidence that His Excellency, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno, is someone given to giving but divine arrangement. Many people did not know that we give out a lot to communities and persons in need. We love to help people, no man comes to me who has a need and is a need I can meet, and I allow him to go empty-handed. No, I don’t, as much as I can by God’s grace because a day comes, we’ll leave this world. So what will we say before the living God that we did in His name? The Governor is called to improve the lives of ordinary people, and God will bless him.
For over 20 years, you’ve been involved in sensitizing Christians to embrace politics. To what extent have you succeeded in this campaign?
We have succeeded in persuading many believers not to sit on the fence but get involved in the political process. What we see today in Pastor Umo Eno is very encouraging that our efforts were not in vain. We are now supporting his administration to succeed because we see the hand of God in it. Also, Pastor Umo Eno as the Governor is an inspiration to us as a body. We have registered another group known as Kings and Priests Leadership Initiative we gather weekly to pray for the Governor and this State, and people who have understood the place of praying for leaders have joined this programme weekly. It is heavy to run it financially but God is helping us.
Recently, someone asked me, “What has Pastor Umo Eno done for you and believers that you hold prayer meeting for him weekly?” Well, I told him how God has used him to do many good things for the people, and how the church has benefitted. I believe that this administration will benefit believers and pastors more as the administration continues in its good work.
You have a visions organize the first Akwa Ibom Pastors’ Day. Tell us, what it’s all about?
Akwa Ibom State Pastors’ Day is an event that’s designed to celebrate men of God who are doing well, who are standard bearers, who are examples of believers in character and in their ministerial services; men of God who have made a worthwhile contribution to the society.
We want to celebrate and honour them publicly. We will also lend a helping hand to those who are struggling and those who are thriving in their services to God and humanity. To those who have potential but are struggling financially, we will look at the business proposal and find way to support them start business. We will encourage them to do well in their business.
How will the businesses do well?
One basic principle of money, of being wealthy is having the ability to multiply money. If someone doesn’t know how to multiply money, no matter how much he prays, no matter how much favour comes to him, eventually he will not testify that he’s wealthy, because wealth is in the mind. Wealth is not just property or goods; wealth is in the spirit of the man, in understanding how business works and the knowledge of the person running it. Wealth is in knowing how to invest.
(To be continued next edition)
