Thursday, October 11, 2007

Acquiring an All-Star Agronomist



The Cleveland Cavaliers have LeBron James. The New York Yankees have Alex Rodriguez. The New England Patriots have Tom Brady. Golf has Tiger Woods. Tennis has Roger Federer. All of these men have 1 thing in common. They are all-stars in their respective sports and highly sought after for commercial advertisements. To bring them into your organization is to raise the level of productivity beyond any previous expectations.




INTERCEP (Intl. Centre for Peace, Charities & Human Dev.) needs Ebenezer Udofia to run our farm operations in northeastern Nigeria (Maiduguri). Ebenezer is the son of a retired proclaimer of the good news from southeastern Nigeria. Ebenezer currently runs the RNT farm operation in Damaturu, Yobe State which is 1 1/2 hours west of Maiduguri. The RNT farm operations consists of guava, mango, orange orchards, thousands of broilers, and thousands of layers. RNT farms breeds cows, horses, chickens, rams, goats, sheep, fish, mills grains, squeezes fruit into juices, and grow numerous vegetable crops.




Ebenezer has completed a graduate degree in animal production technology and has written a book on "A Guide to Raising Rabbits." He is currently being pursued by the largest commercial farm in northeastern Nigeria owned by a state governor who is promising to pay him more money that he could imagine. The RNT farm that Ebenezer manages is 1.5 miles by 1.5 miles giving him the responsibility of managing 30 workers in fruit, livestock, milling, and vegetable operations. Ebenezer is a committed believer but those who are seeking his skills could care less about his religious orientation because he can generate enormous revenue. For the past 2 years, I have visited with Ebenezer at assemblies in Damaturu causing my interest to grow as his gifts and humility are obvious.




Recently, Ebenezer assisted INTERCEP in Maiduguri with a proposal to Healing Hands International (HHI) for 100 broilers, 100 layers, rams and rabbits to enhance our current vegetable production through drip irrigation. Dave Goolsby from HHI was so impressed that he recommended that INTERCEP hire Ebenezer away from RNT farms to serve in Maiduguri. At first, I wondered how in the world that INTERCEP could afford one with Ebenezer's talent when we barely can afford to pay a secretary and farm caretaker. I set up an appointment to meet with Ebenezer for lunch in Damaturu and explained to him how we needed people of his caliber. When I first mentioned the possibility of Ebenezer serving as the administrator of the INTERCEP farm, he was obviously thrilled.




However, nothing could prepare me for his response after I asked him concerning his salary need. He replied: "Brother Brad, there is no amount of money that you could pay me to work for God. I know that I will receive double my reward in heaven for doing this work. Don't worry about the money. God will provide. If it is God's will, I will work to see that the INTERCEP farm in Maiduguri is producing enough to satisfy everyone for God's glory." Arewa Aid will labor to pay Ebenezer's salary through INTERCEP until the farm is self-sustainable and we would be blessed through your partnership.

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