The very stuff that leaders are made of is the capacity to provide direction during crisis and find solutions where it appears impossible to do so.
Mr. Joseph Esoh Edet also known by his brand name as “La’shakara” is a philanthropist, serial entrepreneur, politician, and a very committed follower of Senator Prof. Ben Ayade.
Mr Joseph Edet’s philanthropic lifestyle started as far back as 2004 where he began with:
Reaching out to the less privileged at Mabushi local community of Abuja. 18 years after, over 2000 children and young adults have benefitted from his annual scholarship and empowerment programmes. Over 5000 widows and vulnerable young adults across Calabar Municipality/ Odukpani Federal Constituency have been empowered with different income generating skills and other support items to lift them out of penury, and over 1000 of them have received start up kits and seed funding.
The education and annual empowerment programmes have since become his trademark and passion.
Mr Joseph Edet is notable among the few individuals that have continually reached out to the displaced people of New Netim community. The young leader made a commitment as far back as 2018 to keep being a beacon of hope to them, charging the State Government and the leadership of Odukani LGA to come to their aid. He has continued to advocate for other displaced communities in need of support.
In his words, “it is my passion to profer solutions for societal development starting from the grassroots and lending my voice to the people.” The most recent is his touching the hearts of the women of Odukpani in his Valentine Day visitation which saw hundreds turn up at the event to receive cash gifts, wrappers and other support items. He is indeed the New Testament in our political sphere.
Joseph Edet was appointed Senior Special Assistant to His Excellency, Governor Ben Ayade on Job placement and Entrepreneurship and this became his political launching pad after executing the office with great deligence and organizing the biggest Job festival and meet and greet for entrepreneurs with the Executive Governor of Cross River state. The innovation, creativity and dexterity with which those programs were executed and the impacts they had on the business climate of the state saw the Governor of Cross River trust him with more responsibilities by appointing him the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Obudu Cattle Ranch.
The renovation and repositioning of The Obudu cattle ranch that first brought glamour and renewed attraction to the international tourism destination earned him the nickname “Mr Fixer” by friends and admirers. He was soon elevated as the Managing Director of SummitHills Estates.
COVID 19 frontliner: Joseph Edet “the fixer” was called on to head Garment Factory in the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic as acting MD by the Executive Governor to man operations and meet supplies accross the Nigerian market demand which was very high at the moment and also reposition the day to day operations of the Factory.The Double MD delivered as usual. Mr Joseph Edet was the first public officer to complete a rapid and comprehensive repair of critical infrastructure damaged during the Endsars protect despite the facility being one of the worst hit in the state.
Post #EndSARS fixing of the first phase of the CICC for public use has continued to draw public commendations.
Mr Joseph Edet Lashakara is a brand driven by all-round Excellence, intellectual capacity, fixability and hard work. These are the main traits of good leadership qualities that our clime earnestly yearns for in this century.
Mr Joseph Edet personifies the true leadership that shows up overtime in character and actions at the right time and has been consistent.
He is an alumni of the Prestigious Kings College Lagos, a graduate of computer science UNICAL and is rounding up his Masters Degree from the University of South Wales United Kingdom.
Oh great sons and daughters and friends of Odukpani and Calabar Municipality how blessed are you to have a selfless, dedicated, passionate, consistent and innovative leader like Joseph Edet.
By Richard Balantine
