See what a Cross Riverian passing out from NYSC did in Gombe

Miss Ogon flaunting some of her awards

Efio-Ita Nyok|7 November 2016

This publication is basically about a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) passing-out Cross Riverian that caused everyone in Gombe State, including the state and LG governments, indigenes and residents as well as fellow Corp members to be talking.

The subject of our publication is the Atibulum, Gakem, Bekwarra-born Cross Riverian, Miss Comfort Onyaga Ogon who served in Gombe State, in the northeastern geopolitical zone of the country and has been a Correspondence of the Nations Newspaper. Miss Ogon is a graduate of the Department of Political Science at the University of Calabar. The former beauty queen (Miss Ipem Ihihe 2014/2015) is currently the Founder and Executive Director of CLICE Foundation, a non-profit, non-governmental organisation designated to encouraging literary and entrepreneurial skills amongst females, ladies, women, girls and youths. Miss Ogon is the incumbent  ‘Miss Bekwarra’. 

This rave of Nigeria’s Jewel of the Savannah, Gombe, Miss Ogon accomplished quite a feat during her service year. Her conspicuous contribution during this auspicious moment in Gombe singled her out of the myriad of other serving corps members. Thus, on Friday 4 November, as the NYSC 2015 Batch B Stream II corp members were passing out nationally, His Excellency the Governor of Gombe State, Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo Ph.D., OON, Talban Gombe called Miss Comfort Onyaga Ogon out and presented her with a State Honours Award in Recognition of her Outstanding Performance during her service year. NegroidHaven further learnt that she was the first to be called out during the passing out ceremony to be both given her NYSC Discharge Certificate and Award of Recognition. The crowd then followed.

As if that wasn’t enough, Miss Ogon was recipient of three other awards from Gombe Local Government Area Council, her NYSC Primary Place of Assignment (PPA) -Gombe State Board of Internal Revenue, and NYSC Community Development Service (CDS) group, Freedom of Information Act Vanguard.

According to her, ‘God distinguished me during my Service Year through my CDS projects. I was indeed equipped for service and had begun serving my country in other capacities before ceremoniously obeying the clarion call. Hence, I was ready from day one for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Scheme fully aware of the four cardinal points of the scheme’. So, we understand how the awards came by —service!

During her service year Miss Ogon served meritoriously and in diverse capacities: she was the Producer and Presenter of the rave-making live programme ‘Shout-out’ on Progress Radio 97.3FM Gombe and her name became a household name in the State and beyond as the programme was daily at 5:05pm. Her journey of being an On-Air Personality (OAP) began. Her on air name was ‘Priceless Jewel’. At that time, she was also working for a Uk-US, Lagos-Abuja based Cargo Company as the Senior Brand Manager and I was teaching five children four times in a week aside my Place of Primary Assignment and the Comfort Literacy Intervention & Capacity Enhancement (CLICE) Foundation which she is committed to.

After leaving the radio station and cargo company Miss Ogon revealed in her own words that, ‘Mid-July, it became very strong in my Spirit to review the aims and objectives of the Foundation and I did, then decided to go to the NYSC Zonal Inspector to ask if I could carryout some community development services in my host community of Primary Assignment and he said yes if only I could finish up before the end of August as it was already late to submit application for personal CDS projects.

‘At this point I was very active in the Young Africa Leadership Initiative (YALI) network and I had taken about 15 online courses which equipped me with the necessary skill sets for leadership responsibilities. I submitted my proposal and it was approved. Based on NEEDS assessment of my host community of primary assignment, I organized capacity development training for Corps members and entrepreneurship development and skill acquisition training for Women in collaboration with the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare Gombe State. Her Excellency Hajiya Adama Dankwambo,  wife of Gombe State Governor supported the programme which was themed: “Paving the way for Women Entrepreneurs”.

Miss Ogon’s CLICE Foundation partnered with PerlD’Afriq Concepts owned by one Miss Deborah Brown, Bank of Industry, and a financial institution to implement a project for women and that stood her out as Her Excellency the Governor’s wife, the Chairman House Committee on Women Affairs (Gombe State House of Assembly), the Commissioner for Women Affairs, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Women Affairs, the Executive Director of Guidance and Counseling Development Association Mrs. Hannatu Ibrahim (MFR) all commended her initiative as laudable and phenomenal. This project which was the first of its kind in the state bordered on skill acquisition training sessions where bead-making, cakes and confectionery, African fabric crafts and soap making were embarked on as well as a one day workshop on ‘Paving the way for Women Entrepreneurs’.

Miss Ogon revealed that ‘Presently *(that is, as at Saturday 5 November), CLICE Foundation is working in partnership with PerlD’Afriq Concepts owned by Ms. Deborah Brown in implementing her Queens’ Initiative, a community development in Gombe State for young girls with skills and there is going to be a Business Enlightenment Conference and Exhibition for girls and women with vocational skills in Gombe State.

’22 girls have been trained in fashion accessory craft (Ankara Craft) and there’s going to be exhition by students of Girls Technical College Amada as well as the 22 trained students of G. D. S. S. Gombe State’, She concluded.

Miss Ogon’s unprecedented achievements are heavily preceded by service. Maybe they —Miss Ogon and Miss Deborah Brown of PerlD’Afriq Concepts were the only one who actually came to serve.

Congratulations to Her Majesty Miss Comfort Onyaga Ogon for making her parents, sibling, friends, and the entire Bekwarra nation nay Cross River State proud! Keep it up for it pays to serve.

Editor’s Note:
*Statement appearing in bracket is the editor’s.

Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger, the Editor & Publisher of NegroidHaven.org