The indisputable number one indigenous maritime business expert, Lucky Eyis Amiwero, celebrates his 70th birthday with his followers and admirers in Nigeria whom he admonished to live and carry on their business in a way and manner that can benefit the poor and lowly in the society, and also impact on the country positively
By Innocent Chukwu
The lecturing was solemn and sober. It served as a moment of sober reflection and self-introspection on the side of the audience who were neither sophisticated nor downtrodden. The choice of a mixture of the average and middle class among his numerous admirers and associates to form the audience at this year’s birthday lecture was that of the celebrant, Lucky Eyis Amiwero, a devoted Christian who sought to fulfill the Biblical injuction of Romans 12:16 to wit: “… Do not set your mind on high things, but condescend to men of low estate”, even as he also sought for willing hearts to implant his philosophies which he said represent his impacts on humanity as well as his legacies to posterity.
The event took place on Thursday, September 28 at FESTAC town in Lagos. It was the day when Amiwero clocked 70 years.
Amiwero told the audience that the purpose of this year’s annual birthday lecture was to tell Nigerians why he deliberately chose to live a modest lifestyle despite the fact that as a world class maritime business expert he had all it would take for him to live an ostentatious and lavish lifestyle as with other rich shipping business people all over the world, but he said he deliberately chose to remain humble in the way he lives because of his humble background so that the downtrodden in the poverty ravaged Nigerian society can benefit from him.
By every definition of what symbolizes success and affluence Amiwero is truly a successful personality. Decency, professionalism, acumen, poise, gravitas, excellence are all attributes of the influential founder of the “Council of Managing Directors of Licenced Customs Agents” in Nigeria.
It is instructive to note that the frontline shipper, Amiwero, as a mark of his brilliance and expertise in the maritime business sector had served in a record 168 Federal Government Reform Committees including Presidential Committees, Customs Reform Committee among others. This feat has remained rare achievement that cannot be found in the resume of other frontline shippers, freight forwarders and clearing and forwarding agents in the country. The feat also distinguishes Amiwero from his contemporaries in the industry who he accused of chasing material acquisition while neglecting the development of capacity.
Amiwero has also established a professional academy in shipping business where his followers are trained in maritime business affairs and how to impact the society positively through their vocation and acquisition. Amiwero is a renowned teacher.
However, in spite these enviable profile, Amiwero as with the Biblical Paul of Tarsus, said that all that is for his personal gain he counted as not to be kept for himself and family alone but to be shared among the less privileged in the society. Thus his followers are proud to be identified with him.
Amiwero said he grew up in the ghetto (Ajegunle) area of Lagos where he learned the vocation of a Disk Jockey (DJ). But his focus on becoming useful to the country did not allow him to mess around in the ghetto. Instead, according to him, he chose the path of personal development and learning which has seen him become an enviable success he is today.
Amiwero told his disciples, “I’m an Ajegunle brought up. I didn’t waste my time chasing after women and buying cars. It’s not bad to own big houses and big cars, yet you could convert some of the money to reach out to the poor people in the society. Don’t become a rich man in a poor people’s community
“I have served in 168 Federal Government Committees, nine were presidential committees, but I was there only to change policies not to acquire wealth. If I was greedy like others I would collect bribes in Ghana Must Go bags and build 10 houses and buy flashy cars, but one day God will switch me off.
“I could have spent my time accumulating wealth if I liked because I’m one of the most influential persons in the industry; I was privileged. Yet some times I used old cars and when people wanted to change my old cars I would say no. I relate with the downtrodden, but some clearing agents have five, six houses but do not have licence to operate.
“We must change this industry. The clearing profession is among the best professions in the world but here in Nigeria we spend time accumulating wealth without building capacity. If you don’t build capacity one day you will be tired of yourself.
“I built a school to impact knowledge which I did free of charge; training is done free at the Council, this is the knowledge I acquired and I decided to pass it over to others freely.
Speaking to the audience on professionalism, Amiwero said, “You’re not a cargo carrier, you’re a trained procedure expert; you classify, you interpret, you’re called a cargo doctor. Classification is our watchword.
“Don’t underestimate your profession. When God took you into the ports He took you to the best profession. My intention was to drop my presidency of the Council today but you cannot live in this world without affecting people’s lives. We must try to be our brother’s keepers because what sustains the Council are the sacrifices I make. I could have paraded 70 houses today to mark my birthday, but when you touched one life positively you have done a lot.
“Get your company, get your license, build capacity. If you build only houses it may collapse, but if you develop your business it becomes a living structure. When you develop your business it will give you houses and cars at the right time. Your mind must be investment-focused so that your business can move on. In this country people build houses of N500 million, one billion, N1.5 billion but there are no industries”. Stressing on the importance of technology driven business, Amiwero said, “There will be time when nobody will go into the ports to clear cargoes. You will stay in your house to clear them. Leadership is not supposed to be bossy, it’s about giving people vision, by making life better for other people, that’s why we’re created, that’s what I choose to do. Those days I was offered money in dollars but I rejected it. When your heart is tuned to God you become bold, when it’s tuned to material things we become empty.
“I was arrested because of the Council’s stand on benchmark. They gave me N25 million and I rejected it. There was a time I had 21 cases fighting against bad system because that’s what the Council is all about.
“I used my intellectual property right to establish the school. Let us try to assist ourselves. Share your knowledge and transfer your knowledge, that’s what I have been doing at the Council”.
