He escaped from the clutches of herdsmen attacks in Taraba state, came to Abuja with nothing until a church helped to change his story. IDACHABA SUNNY ELEOJO spoke with him.
Who is Joseph Ukam?
I am from Vandeikya local government area of Benue state. I hold a Bachelors Degree in Agriculture and Environmental Engineering from University of Agriculture Makurdi and passionate about agricultural development.
Where do you reside now and where were you prior to this time?
Right now, I am in Abuja, but as at 2017, I was in Taraba state to further explore the possibilities of agri-business and to make a living for myself. What were your experiences before now and subsequent movement to Abuja?
My life journey had been filled with struggles, attacks, setbacks, disappointments and frustrations, for instance, I had worked in Abuja, but left in order to follow my dreams in agriculture. I was able to secure a land in Taraba where I began cultivating maize, soybeans, yam, pepper, guinea corn and sesame, but the volatile nature of the environment where my farm was located contributed to the hindrances I faced in my farm as herdsmen attacked my farm and destroyed my crops due for harvest. The attacks
were too many, so at some point, I left Taraba.
What have you been doing since you came to Abuja?
Coming to Abuja, I attempted to process my dad’s pension and gratuity, but that process requires money and I didn’t have sufficient funds to keep going to different relevant offices. I kept seeking God’s help through prayer. It was very tough as I would go for days without food, squat with friends in unsafe and overcrowded environment. Some nights, I felt like giving up but I knew that one day my breakthrough would come so I kept holding on.
Tell us about your encounter with the Transforming Church and how they touched your life
I have been to several prayer houses and churches seeking God’s help. Most places, they would require I sow a seed or buy an item in their church knowing fully well that I didn’t have the means. On one occasion, a ministry asked me to sow a seed of a standing fan since they didn’t have any. At a point, I had to borrow money to sow the seed. In the end, there was no change in my life. To be honest, I had even gone as far as trying other non-Christian altars all for breakthrough, but thank God I did not fall into irreversible evil ways. It was one of those days in the early hours of a Sunday morning, precisely 25th July 2021, about 3:00am that I heard God said to me, “Get up and go to church.”
It was the most audible voice I ever heard from God. I was energised in my spirit to obey instantly. The interesting thing was that I didn’t have enough money to transport myself and I was wondering which church. Even where I was squatting, there was no water to shower that morning, but I was determined to get to church against all odds. I got to The Transforming Church in Gwarimpa about 7:00am and sat at the back waiting for service to commence by 8:30am. I can’t remember the title of the message again, all I remember was that at some point, Pastor John Ibebunjo, made a call for those trusting God for a turn-around. That was when I went to the altar. Rev Sam Oye, the lead pastor came up to pray for all of us and my case was mentioned. The revelation he got about my situation was so accurate that I began to cry. He placed his hands on my head and prayed for me, breaking every curse that had held me back. When he finished, he asked me what I wanted to do and I told him about my dream of starting a company and how I had already made all the plans but due to lack of resources could not go forward. He then invited the church family to sow into my life and requested the church to make 10 brand new dresses for me and 5 shoes. He asked me to give one of the protocol officers my account details and it was displayed on the screen for all who wanted to sow into my life. It was just mind-blowing. I had never experienced anything like that in my life. People I didn’t know started sending money into my account, offering to help me to register the company, free publicity and develop a website. That was the beginning of my breakthrough. I want to use this opportunity to thank Rev Sam Oye, his wife and the entire Transforming Church. I am truly grateful. God bless you beyond measure.
What is your plan going forward?
Through the support of the church, my dream company; Kamphen Investment Limited is registered with the Corporate Affairs Commissions (CAC). My goal is to use it to push the frontiers of development in Nigeria while creating opportunities for people.
