Blessyn Okpowo: Happy Birthday to a Media Guru with Extra-ordinary Legacies
“When you are young, you think about dates, when you are old, you think about prunes”.-Anonymous
He came. He saw. And he’s still ‘seeing’! He’s still conquering! The pun is arguably a fitting summary of Mr.Blessyn Emonena Okpowo’s trajectory on planet earth. His Zero to Hero life story is refreshing and scintillating, just as it is inspiring and motivating.
It‘s a narrative about a sagacious man, whose new age is worthy of celebration to the core. About a shrewd media consultant who just clocked a new age. It ‘s a flowery essay about an accomplished journalist and silent philanthropist,who,like a phoenix, rose from the ashes of social-economic limitations to become a towering testimony to fruits of hardwork and God’s grace. The commentary on Blessyn is about an unassuming trailblazer who, many agree, is an asset to his fatherland and a source of blessing to humanity.
Every chapter of Blessyn’s age sojourns on earth contains elegant description of a man, who is aware he is pencil in the hand of God.Hence, for him, God comes first. His love for the almighty conditions Blessyn’s numerous contributions to the spread of the gospel via financial support to community development and humanitarian services.
Blessyn was neither born great nor had greatness thrust on him. And there was neither silver-nor any type of –spoon in his month on that rainy mid-60s when his parents welcomed a new bouncing baby boy in Idheze-irri town of Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State.However, through the dint of hardwork and abiding faith in God, Blessyn Okpowo later acquired the proverbial silver spoon and achieve greatness on his own.
Blessyn attended University of Benin between 1986 to 1990 where he graduated with Second Class Upper in History, specialized in Political history, Economic History, Press History, International Relations and Diplomacy. He was the best graduating student of his set. He later bagged his M.A (Second Class Upper) in International History and Diplomacy (Specialized in Crisis Management and Conflict Resolution and emerged the best student. He also attended many professional courses like Executive course on Issue and Crisis Management, London, March 2007, International center for Sustainable Development, Accra, Ghana, November 2006,Executive course on Crisis Management, Conflict Resolution and Project Management, Nigeria Professional course on managing the Corporate Affairs Functions, and Executive Course on improving your personal Effectiveness, Lagos Business School, June 2005 and member, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations(NIPR).
He joined Vanguard Media Limited on April 1998 to May 2004, where he was a Deputy Editor, Weekend Vanguard. He acted in several capacities as head when the editor on national assignment, member, Vanguard Editorial board (Wrote editorials and opinions for the paper), supervised all editorial production activities for the Weekend Vanguard, coordinated all out station activities for the Weekend Vanguard,conceptualize,design and implement editorial policies for the paper and Design and execute special projects.
Having left indelible legacies in the Vanguard Newspaper and as a man full with natural wisdom and creativity, he joined Addax Petroleum as head, media and Public Relations from June 2004 to March 2008, initiated a high and rising profile plans to grow the company with absolute trust. He achieved a zero negative reports in the media on Addax Petroleum and built the company’s image in both local and international levels. He also served as Manager to senior Community Relations Manager in Addax Petroleum and initiated several plans to boost the company to international standard.
He left Addax Petroleum and joined Afren Energy Services, where he served as the General Manager, Community Affairs and Government Relations and initiated several strategies to grow the company to an enviable height. As Afren Energy Services transited to Oriented Energy Resources, due to some turbulent situation, he was absorbed and became the present senior Manager, Community Affairs and Government Relations. His community skills in conflict management in the oil and gas sector, has made him a rising star among his peers in recent times.
To Blessyn Okpowo, service to God and humanity, is the first assignment on earth. As a trained publicist, he believes that issues should be investigated before publications in the media. His creative legacies are beginning to grow from generation to generation both Nigeria and abroad. He is happily married to a beautiful woman, Mrs Florence Emamoke Okpowo and blessed with lovely children. Once again, happy birthday bash, May God bless your new age on earth in Jesus name Amen.
Godday Odidi
Image Maker/Blogger
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Lagos