Man, the most unique creation of God has limited abilities. Some have very limited "grace". Very revered few are imbued with the Paul Apostle's kind of all sufficient grace, that anything they touch experiences tremendous turnaround for good. Mr. Umana Okon Umana is blessed with this sufficient grace. By that grace, he has succeeded as a father, teacher, technocrat, and philanthropist.
Lately, his experience, unparalleled managerial skills, and hard work have turned the OGFZA, a once deserted zone to goldmine. Soon after Mr. Umana Umana took up helms of affairs as Managing Director of OGFZA, businesses have picked tremendously in the zone; piracy and militancy have abated; new foreign investors particularly from the Republic of Singapore have closed in on business partnership.
The OGFZA is a highly fallotine area. The preponderance of such water-tight technicality could account for why much could not be achieved in the zone over the years, albeit inherent environmental factors. Umana showed capacity in all of these. He broke the complexities and bottlenecks associated with doing business in the zone, with a new operational roadmap. The first opportunity his practical intelligence in management has brought to the zone is partnership for ship building, championed by Singaporean business federation. This effort shall no doubt add up to transfer of technology and expertise, creation of employment, increase formal trade and value addition within Nigeria's local content pool.
Within few moths, UOU has taken steps to institutionalise ease of doing business in the OGFZA both in Onne, Lagos and other zones. Nigeria, nay the free zone lagged in ease of doing business globally. The amendment of the OGFZA Act, deployment of Oracle Cloud technology for the automation of OGFZA's operations, and strengthening inter-agency collaboration, and where necessary initiating working relationships, are eventful turnarounds for businesses in the area championed by his administration. This aimed to create a one-stop shop infrastructure for licences, taxes, immigration, customs, security and other regulatory issues in the zone.
Mr. Umana Okon Umana has always given good report of himself and the State anywhere he is called upon to serve. He was called "The engine room" of administration when he served as Secretary to Government of Akwa Ibom State. God's sufficient grace upon him made that possible.
Umana made a successful career in the Akwa Ibom State Civil Service after he left his lecturing job. As an undergraduate and post-graduate student in the University of Calabar, and University of Lagos, he shone like a star.
"He was meticulous, unassuming and brilliant", Mr. Sonni Ayang, Umana's school's and chessmate who later served with him in the Akwa Ibom State Executive Council told a State based tabloid in 2014.
UOU, fondly called "Mr Capacity" by his good friend, a former national lawmaker, Abom Tony Esu, is a warm- hearted philanthropist. He has built houses for people, and supported many more to start, and grow personal businesses. One thing distinguishes his philanthropic work; everything he does remains secret and personal. In the heat of his gubernatorial campaigns in 2015, a programme anchor on Planet radio asked him about his philanthropic works, he insisted it was "personal", even though other aspirants blew trumpets about theirs.
Mr. Umana is a good listener. He pays rapt attention to every detail of a discussion. You can hardly find the depth of humility UOU exudes among men of his class. He believes in developing people, and showing kindness to the poor. The proof to this is that he has trained families of people with whom he shares no affinity.
"Daddy UOU" as he is fondly called by lovely admirers who have adopted him as their foster father, is married to an adorable wife, Florence, a teacher of the gospel at the Redeemed Christian Church of God. Pastor (Mrs.) Florence Umana has been a huge influence on her husband and four children.
Daddy UOU is a great father, and good Ambassador.
Thank you sir for touching lives of men of "limited" grace with abundant blessings.
May the Lord's all sufficient grace abide with you.
Happy 58th birthday.
Princ Emmanuel Sam.
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