Indeed, he knew what he was saying and from his tone, the young activist meant it wholeheartedly. His description of Bush was nevertheless similar to what US President Barack Obama said of newly named President of the World Bank, Dr. Jim Yong Kim when announcing the Korean-American’s nomination for the post. In his words, Obama described Kim who currently serves as president of Dartmouth College as “a developer” by saying: “It’s time for a development professional to lead the world’s largest development agency.”
But unlike Obama who hopes that the world would see a reduction in poverty through improved aid to developing countries with Dr. Kim dictating the pace at the World Bank, young Obaji wants to see a society devoid of violence, conflicts and unnecessary fanaticism and believes a pragmatic Bush will help push the call for zero tolerance to vices and set the agenda right for the success of the anti-violence initiative.
Bush’s biggest task will be to redesign the existing framework of the campaign by making it more effective so as to support the programmes and objectives of the initiative. The organization recently designed three projects in line with its objective aimed at eradicating societal violence. These projects include: The Football without Violence project, the Goal against Violence project and the Education beats Violence project. Some pundits have argued that the size of the young organization was too little to effectively carry out projects of such magnitude.
For instance, the Goal against Violence project which is aimed at ensuring that school pupils play football and understand the essence of fair play and unity while doing so, hopes to have accommodated over one million pupils at the end on 2018. Obaji himself had agreed that it was an expensive venture, one that will cost about Fifty Million Naira each year to implement. Indeed, everyone will wonder how such money will be raised for such a tasking but necessary venture. Last year, Obaji had told the BBC that it was expensive to run 1 GAME and funds will be needed to meet its goals. It yet to be ascertained how much response he got from the world, if he did get any after making that ‘SOS’ call.
Nevertheless, the efforts of the charismatic Obaji, though in motion, must be commended. Having to organize and mobilize for a cause has never being an easy task, yet for the 1 GAME initiative, a lot can be termed as successful in their campaign. For instance, having over One Hundred and Fifty Thousand people sign up to the cause is no mean feat. Even heavenly funded programmes encounter big challenges gaining followership but for 1 GAME, it came reasonably. A lot must go to the forerunners. Very few would have given them the benefit for doubt. Maybe Bush did, thus the reason why Obaji will always have great words to say about him. His linking up with 1 GAME will no doubt shape things, after all, he’s used to redesigning things.
Back in 2003, he quit the services of Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation (AKBC) and immediately founded Worldwin Media which proudly owns the very popular Bush House Nigeria. His ambition was clear, he wanted to reshape the way the media was run in Akwa Ibom State. Soon after, ‘reshaping’ became part of his name. When his wife Nneka was kidnapped in 2009, he reshaped by quickly relocating to Abuja from Uyo where he set up Bush House, a programme he had also reshaped at the Federal Capital Territory to meet the new age. When political issues in Akwa Ibom State took a nose-dive, bush reshaped things as he founded Ibom Medallion, a socio-economic organization aimed at making Akwa Ibomites living outside the state and abroad contribute to good governance in the state. He obviously knows how to rebuild and definitely will be the talisman at 1 GAME.
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