Kingsley Kuku : Appreciating God’s Benevolence With Thanksgiving
By Femi Salako
Publisher Triangle News Media
A Yoruba adage says that any slave that is thoughtful will unpromtedly choose thanksgiving as a lifestyle. Even the Holy Bible makes it clear in the book of Psalm 22 verse 3 that God inhabits the praises of Israel. This is therefore an assurance that the only thing that Almighty God can ever accepts and appreciates from mortal beings in exchange for His benevolent goodness and mercy is thanksgiving.
The book of Matthew 8 :24-26 also gives an account of how a great storm arose in the sea and how the Lord Jesus Christ rebuked it and there was a great calm immediately.This analogous comparisons aptly captures the situation of Hon. (Dr.) Kingsley Kemebradigha KuKu who was abroad for more than 8-years and enjoyed unflinching divine protection all through the period.
The situation of Kingsley Kuku even calls for a better appreciation of God because he met in peace, all members of his family; including his aged mother upon his return to Nigeria. It has been deemed necessary to underscore God’s manifold mercies in the life of Kingsley Kuku and his family in the last 8-years by organizing a special praise, worship and thanksgiving service. The service is to be specially dedicated to the glory of God in the life of the former Chairman of Presidential Amnesty Programme.
The special day of returning all praises and adoration to the Almighty God is on Sunday, December 31, 2023 at the First Baptist Church, Arogbo.Ondo State from 12:00noon to 4:00pm. Coincidentally, the same church where the special thanksgiving is billed to take place was donated by the same Kingsley Kuku some years ago. The day presents an opportunity to make a joyful noise unto the Lord in appreciation of his goodness.
Kuku also has other good reasons to appreciate God, aside his safe return to Nigeria after 8-years of academic sojourn abroad He was able to acquire more academic qualifications during his time abroad, and this is in addition to the Gods given opportunities to impact lives while in office as the Special Adviser on Niger Delta Affairs and Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).
The Arogbo born politician recently wrote a piece in which he commended the leaders of Niger Delta for the peace and stability ensured in the region since year 2009 till date. He also sued for historical and cultural imperatives amongst the Niger Delta actors so as to communalise peace, stability and security in a bid to capture centrum spot in President Bola Tinubu’s developmental agenda. He also implored all the patriotic Niger Delta leaders to support, strengthen and deepen the Bola Tinubu Dimension (BTD) for the reason of existential stability and prosperity of the South South region.
The environmentalist has been full of words of commemdation for the antecedents and audacious steps of President Bola Tinubu. He is likewise appreciative of the continous strategic engagements of President Tinubu with pivotal leadership-actors in the Niger Delta. KuKu has also since his return to Nigeria been admonishing the South South people to play their strategic part in the deal of peace and development offered by President Tinubu.
It is worth recounting the invaluable achievements recorded by Dr. Kingsley Kuku when he meritoriously served as the Special Adviser on Niger Delta Affairs and Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme during the regime of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
It is on record that Kuku helped with the restoration of sustainable and lasting peace to the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. He was also instrumental in the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of more than 30,000 former agitators to the civil society.
It was also to the credit of Kingsley Kuku the he helped in the scaling up of the nation’s daily crude oil output from 680,000 barrels to 2.8 million barrels. It was also to his credit that he faciliated the enrolment of more than 800 ex-agitators in 72 universities in United Kingdom with all fees and monthly stipends fully paid. He equally ensuref the placement of over 300 repentant agitators in various universities across the United States of America with all fees and monthly stipends fully paid.
It is also on record that Kingsley Kuku facilitated the registration of appreciable number of the ex-agitators in leading Malaysian and Ghanaian universities with all fees and monthly stipends fully paid. He likewise went ahead with the enrolment of more than 700 former agitators in Igbinedion University, Okada Edo state with all fees and monthly stipends fully paid. It is also to his credit that he ensured the placement of 400 repentant agitators in Benson Idahosa University, Benin with all fees and monthly stipends fully paid.
Similarly, Kingsley Kuku ensured the enrolment of 200 ex-agitators at the prestigious Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti with all fees and monthly stipends fully paid. He equally registered 156 repentant agitators at Novena University for undergraduate programmes with all fees and monthly stipends fully paid. It was also during the time of Kuku as the Chairman of Presidential Amnesty Programme that he worked for the academic placements of more than 2,000 former agitators in overseas universities in UK, Ukraine, Russia, South Africa and the United States with all fees and monthly stipends fully paid.
Another major achievements of Kingsley Kuku as the Chairman of Presidential Amnesty Programme was the renewed confidence of Nigeria in the international oil market and the ability to exercise enormous influence in OPEC and other sub-regional bodies. He also succeeded in ensuring drastic reduction in the incidences of kidnapping and killing across the Niger Delta and this turned out to provide conducive environment for the repairs of oil and gas infrastructures that were damaged during the period of militant agitation. He also succeeded in ensuring major reduction in the violation and vandalization of Nigerian oil facilities.
Undoubtedly, Kingsley Kuku made visible impacts on the lives of the ordinary masses, especially the youths in the Niger Delta region. He also emplaced vigorous human capacity building programmes for the production of intermediate manpower in under-water welding, piloting, seafaring and marine engineering. Additionally, he also facilitated the training of former agitators in diverse skills acquisition programmes and vocational trainings such as auto mechanics, boat building, safety programmes and ICT.
The environmentalist did so well with the provision of wide scope of training for former agitators which ranged from ocean diving in Sri-Lanka; under-water welding in Ghana; boat building and seafaring in the Philippines and piloting in South Africa. Added to his achievements was the training of an army of middle and high caliber manpower to provide services in the various oil, gas and agro-allied industries.
Kuku, likewise exposed substantial number of repentant agitators to agricultural training in Israel, ICT training in India and crane operation and pipeline welding in Poland. He equally exposed a good number of former agitators to trainings in helicopter maintenance, engineering and piloting in Italy.
In an unprecedented manner, Kingsley Kuku succeeded in relieving ex-combatants of the burden of violence and the same youths have since been given career lifelines through formal education, vocational training and acquisition of entrepreneurial skills. Also, he subjected all the repentant agitators to non-violence training at the Obubra camp of the Presidential Amnesty Programme. In addition, Kingsley Kuku engaged in a
sustainable and proactive re-orientation of youths in the Niger Delta region.
The scheduled special thanksgiving service is expected to have in attendance captains of industries, political, business, opinion and Niger Delta leaders from across the country. Also to be in attendance are some of the repentant militants whose lives were impacted by Kingsley Kuku and are now doing extremely well in their field of endeavors.
