Dr. Samuelson Emehibe is the Special Adviser to Governor Hope Uzodimma on Persons with Disabilities. In this interview with CHRIS NJOKU, Emehibe, who has just returned from the holy pilgrimage to Jerusalem in Israel, explains how he returned $1.2 million belonging to a Polish American upon arrival on pilgrimage in Israel in spite of the temptation to steal the money that would have turn around his fortune as a disabled person. Excerpt:
How would you introduce yourself?
I am Dr Samuelson Emehibe, Special Adviser to Governor Hope Uzodimma on Special Citizens, and Founder of Special Persons with Disabilities in the old Imo, now Imo, Abia and Ebonyi states.
What do you mean by special citizens?
Special citizens are people who are physically challenged. They are people with spinal cord injuries, the visually impaired, or people with albinism. All of them are classified as special citizens.
Before you were appointed an special adviser to Governor Uzodimma, what other positions did you hold?
Before I was appointed as a Special Assistant to the governor, I was the founder of Special Persons with Disabilities in the old Imo made up of present Imo, Abia and Ebonyi states. I was in charge of people with disabilities as at then because I was the founder. There was nothing like people with disabilities even in Nigeria.
I later became their president and after some years of my leadership, I was also elected as the President General of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities. As a leader of persons with disabilities, I was the longest serving president general of people with disabilities in Nigeria. I served them and did so many things even in the current Imo State. I have empowered so many of them both in the employment sector and the skill and educational sectors.
You recently went to Jerusalem. What was your mission to the place?
I went there for spiritual development, and I am very happy to be one of those selected by the state government to travel to Israel, where people have been seeking to go. I was selected by the state government through his excellency, the most distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma.
How was the trip?
It was a very nice one because in my entire life I had been longing to visit Jerusalem. My family members had been telling me stories about Israel. Other people too had been talking about Israel and many have not been able to go there. Even people from my kindred, none of them has had the opportunity to be there. I was the one chosen to go there through the mercy of God and recommendation of the governor.
If not the governor, who would have uplifted me to that position? People think that disability is inability whereas in every disability, there is ability. People think that disability is inability; that is why nobody would allow people with disability to attain to such heights as becoming commissioners like people with ability. Have you seen people with disability appointed as commissioners, ministers or chairmen of any board? The answer is no. It is only the All Progressives Congress (APC) government that recognises people with disability in the entire Nigeria, and they established a commission for persons with disabilities.
Even before then, President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Special Advisers for people with disabilities, and that was what our God-sent governor emulated. He appointed so many people with disabiities in this state in different field of endeavours.
What was the most significant thing that happened during your trip to Israel?
Like I said earlier I am very happy; that after God in my life, the next person is Governor Uzodimma. I take him as my second God because I have served so many top politicians and governors but no one but Senator Uzodinma remembered to give me an appointment.
When we were leaving for Israel, he gave us a word of advice as a father of the state that we should be an ambassador of Africa, Nigeria and Imo State, and that we should not disgrace the state, Nigeria and Africa. I had to follow such admonition. And being a man that was well brought up, in my life I have never stolen or taken anybody’s property.
In spite of blackmailing gossips of political positions, I know myself and I believe myself, and I know that the man that appointed me knows that I cannot betray Imo State, I cannot betray him, I cannot betray Nigeria, I cannot betray Africa.
You were said to have returned the sum of 1.2 million dollars uou found in Israel. How did you find the money?
My first entry to Israel on that day after staying for three days in Jordan, was when the incident happened. After staying in Jordan we landed in Israel that night, they gave us keys to go to our respective rooms and everybody was struggling for his bags and luggage, and nobody wanted to help anybody again because everybody was rushing towards his or her room.
I was stuggling with my luggage and an European man and his children were also struggling with his own luggage. In the process of carrying the bags, he did not know that one of them had dropped. So he carried his children and other bags and started going.
“I watched the man and found that the bag had mistakenly dropped off. I picked it up and started calling the man but he refused to answer. You know white people; they always think when an African or black man is calling them, the person wants to dupe them. He didn’t want to answer me until somebody called his attention and he turned back to look at the person that was calling him.
I raised the big bag up and he immediately left the other bags with his children, ran towards me and hugged me. He said where are you from? I said Nigeria. In disbelief he said Nigeria? I said yes. He said Nigeria, I hail you. He hugged me again and again. Then he opened the bag and said what is here is 1.2 million dollars for a transaction.
He said I know you didn’t open it, but I want to open it to show you what you have done for me. He opened it and behold, the bag was full of dollars. In any case, I wanted to leave him because I was rushing to get to my room and nobody could help me at that point. I also wanted to leave so they would not term it that I was a thief because they said that cameras were there and they could turn it round that I was a thief. So I said let’s get out of the place as quickly as possible.
But as I made to leave, he said stop, and I stopped. He said come, come I want to have a picture with you. He used his camera and snapped a picture of both of us. He said he wanted to have my particulars and I dipped my hand into my pocket and gave him my complimentary card. Immediately he said bye-bye after hugging me again, and I ran away.
How do you feel returning a sum that could turn your fortunes around?
I feel happy, because when I was calling him and he did not answer, what I could have done was to open my big bag, drop the money into it and go my own way. But I cannot do that and couldn’t have done it because my conscience would not allow me to do so. I wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway. I know that with God, all things are possible; that God will surely reward me. I came to the holy land and from holy land I would be blessed forever.
I only want to thank my governor for sponsoring 1000 persons from Imo State to the pilgrimage. It was such a wonderful trip. So, for me, picking that money that amounts to almost N1 billion made me to understand that it pays to be good. My spirit is uplifted. Myself, my family, children, relations and friends are all happy.
Only a few disgusted elements were telling me why didn’t I keep the money? They said why didn’t I give it to them to keep for me so that I would give them a percentage of it when we returned to Nigeria? I said no, what I did is my conscience. I have done what my conscience told me to do and I will never go astray.
I have done what God wants me to do and I am very happy whether somebody thanked me or not. In fact I want to thank myself for not falling into temptation; that they did not say I stole the money. I was thanking God for helping me to deliver the money to its owner. I repeat: I am very happy and I thank the governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma. He is a God sent. Satan wanted to use that area to come and destroy me but it did not work.
How do you intend to impact what you have learnt in Israel on your primary assignment?
I had started it before l left for Israel. I believe that my people will know that in every decade there is always a leader that will equally lead them in honesty and dedication. But you may not understand or appreciate until the person goes away. I am very optimistic that my people, especially the special citizens of Imo and Nigeria, will emulate what I did, because it is worthy of emulation. They should channel their spirits and souls into something good; not evil. They should not be annoyed at any time because as God has made us to be people with disabilities, there are other areas He favoured us and did not favour others.
I know that if people with able bodies had picked up the money, they would not have returned it. But God wanted me, the physically challenged, to pick it in order to return it to the owner, and that was exactly what I did. I know that another thing that God wanted to do with me, He knew that money would get lost on that day but He used me to return it.
What is your advice to Nigerians?
They should do good things at all times and emulate good leaders like Hope Uzodimma. It pays to be good.