The Visioner

FAMILY BACKGROUND

MANY HURDLES CROSSED IN LIFE

Given his rough background, his uncle brought him to the city of Lagos towards the end of September, 1979 along with two (2) other boys senior to him. By this time, he was between the age 14 and 15 years only. The uncle enrolled him back to finish his primary school with L.A. Primary School at Ogbonwankwo Street, Ajegunle Apapa. It is important to note that his uncle was only a night security guard with then R.T. Briscoe residing in one room apartment with his wife and 4 children and now joined with 3 boys from village totaling 9 people in a single room. Given that the other 2 boys were better matured than our Reverend, they were able to find themselves friends where they use to hang over at nights, while our Reverend sleeps at the passage after everyone has gone to bed at nights. He slept in the passage for a period of time before one good spirited tenant out of sympathy Mr. Betram Igwe brought him to be sleeping on the floor of his house till further notice.

PRIMARY SCHOOL & MENIAL JOBS

While Rev. Dike was going to his primary school, his uncle got him after-school work to wash plate in a Canteen every day from Monday to Friday while he works as a gateman to a white man at Liverpool where they called European Quarters on Saturdays and Sundays. Reverend was doing the two menial jobs while his uncle was the one collecting the stipends. When he finished primary school and passed his Common Entrance Examination, the wife of his uncle advised the husband that it was better they send their own children to school first before sending another woman’s child. That was how his dream of going to Secondary School was punctuated.  Being out of school and without any vocational training, the wife of his uncle now began to use him to hawk for any seasonal fruit that comes out until Mr. Betram got him a cleaner work with the then National Assembly during the Government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari. By this time, the members of the National Assembly were quartered at Dubar Hotel, Mile 2 and later moved to 1004 Housing Estate, Victoria Island, Lagos. This same Mr. Betram convinced him to attend Commercial School with him which he reluctantly did. He was able to pursue and got his Advanced Papers in Typewriting, Shorthand and Secretarial Administration from Pitman Examination in the year …….. When Mr. Betram Igwe and Daniel Ekpe joined hands to sedure an apartment of their own, they took him along to live with them at Amukoko. This was how his academic and working lives started.

ACADEMIC EXPOSURE

Aside all the rough journey so far, today Rev. (Dr) Uche Okogbua Dike holds Advanced Certificates in Secretarial Administration; Diploma in Management; Bachelor Degree in Public Administration and Masters Degree in Marketing Management from University of Lagos, Ambrose Alli and Ladoke Akintola Universities respectively. He is an Associate Member of Chartered Institute of Administration (ACIA) and Chartered Institute of Marketing (ACIM).

WORK EXPERIENCE

He worked with Bolaji Carew & Co. (Legal Firm) at Western House, Nationwide Television, Race Course, Capital Investment & Trust Co. Ltd – all as Secretary and Personal Assistant before joining Universal Trust Bank Plc. Rev. Dike held several management positions both at former Universal Trust Bank and Union Bank Plc during his over 20 years banking career including Branch Operations Manager, Marketing Manager and Relationship Manager at different times. He left Union Bank  in 2009 to work with Capital Oil & Gas Co. Ltd as Assistant General Manager (Business Development) from where he left in 2010 to fulfill a calling in fulltime ministry.

Rev. (Dr) Uche Dike was born on February 20, 1964, to the family of Mr. Okogbua and Magaret Elesia (both are late) of Idima Abam, Arochukwu Local Government Area of Abia State/Nigeria. His mother was the second out of three (3) wives of his father. Of the eleven children from his mother’s womb, Uche is the lastborn and the only surviving child from that marriage as at today – meaning 10 out of the 11 children died. Given the serial bereavements of her children, his mother left the marriage and returned to her family house where she stayed till her departure from the mother earth in 2004. From this brief account, it is notable that God preserved this God’s servant for two main reasons. The first is for God to leave for Himself a remnant from the line of that overlabored mother. The second reason is for him to fulfill the ministry which God deposited inside of him. And I say, if you are carrying the seed of ministry in your womb, you go through tick and tan, but God’s eye is always on the sparrow.