Dakkada Ambassador – Life stories are parts of the greatest Lesson Notes that have ever been available for the perfect molding of human character. If Lesson Notes exist which tell of how human life should be, they are the inexhaustible piles of documented and non-documented memoirs, biographies and autobiographies. These books give direction in any kind of human experience, providing escape routes for all humanity to avoid the crooked paths and focus on the ways that lead to progress.
Grace Bassey has a life story that qualifies for a space in the Book of Life. Her life is quite a huge life lesson that meets global spread. Definitely, her God is a strong and smiling one, leading her on the right path of life to her destiny. She exudes extremely positive traits that carve a niche for her progress. While Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State was yet to mount the governance throne to lead his people on a new way of life, her God may have already exposed her to the Dakkada concept.
Born into a family of affluence, Grace Bassey, a 49 year old petty trader in Uyo met a fatal break from her lineage which cut her off all opportunities that the fortunes of the family could provide. Her father who married seven wives and birth 21 children, completely lost his grip to his family. Grace told our team that her father never saw the need to further her education after attaining her first school leaving certificate. Like a script familiar to the Nollywood, she was left to fend for herself in a home that was surrounded with financial abundance. Instead of her step siblings to help out, they preferred to mock her ordeal.
Grace Bassey, a native of Ikot Edebe in Nsit Atai local government area of Akwa Ibom State understood that she could attempt to wipe her own tears away. She engaged her mind on activities that could help to provide her with means of survival. Fortunately, one of the family members took her to Port Harcourt in 2011. There, she learnt how to speak English and had to serve as a housemaid for two years before returning to Akwa lbom State in 2013.
Meanwhile, she earlier got married and had a son. But things had truly fallen apart, as the husband abandoned her and the kid, leaving her with the tragic fate of picking her broken pieces of life. Of course, knowing that it takes a strong woman to sale through the storm, Grace ventured into petty trading of different items, also roasting and selling fishes. It is even more intriguing to note that her petty trading was started with a market capital of just one hundred and fifty naira (N150).
With hard work, consistency and savings over time, the business which includes selling of pepper, okro, kpomo, periwinkle and the likes, has become very profitable. With this smiling fortune, Grace has found grace in God and prospered in her little substance. Five years into the petty trading, Grace has bought a land, sponsored her 19-year old son through secondary education and continues to provide for their daily needs.
Thoughtful and calculative, Grace who is familiar with the economic situation in the country has enrolled her son in skills acquisition. She says her son must first be empowered with skills in order to be independent before furthering his education. She believes this will help him to be more responsible and financially stable.
The story portrays Grace Bassey as a market woman with legendary capacity to produce so much from very little resources. It is an absolute depiction of a unique personality who is committed, resilient, industrious and determined to pursue set goals. Gleaning from the facts that her other siblings were more favoured, given better parental attention and good education, one feels excited to realize that Grace is in a pool of God’s grace.
With extreme portrayal of the concept of Dakkada as perfectly introduced by current Governor Udom Emmanuel, one is convinced that Grace Bassey is indeed a Dakkada Ambassador that the Governor is yet to meet. In his 32nd anniversary broadcast of Monday, September 23, Mr Udom Emmanuel reiterated his desire to build the state on the foundation of Dakkada. Through her exploits, Grace has registered her name as one whose life is nothing but a lesson to others. It is the compelling inspiration embedded in her narrative that propelled the VoiceYourStories team to surrender the PERSONALITY OF THE WEEK Page to Miss Grace Bassey.
Congratulations!!!
Mercy Obot
