By: Essien Ndueso
In every generation, certain moments testify to the power of talent and how it can lift an individual from obscurity into national relevance. For Chris Vic, the Eket-born visually-impaired singer whose voice has graced both streets and stages, the weekend’s events in Akwa Ibom State became a turning point: a convergence of destiny, opportunity and benevolence.
What unfolded was more than entertainment. It became a story of hope, compassion, and the incredible things that happen when society chooses to recognize ability rather than disability.
As the second runner-up of the last Naija Talent Hunt Show, a platform that revealed his vocal depth and musical power, the young performer was no novice to the microphone. But that particular Saturday night, he carried something deeper than notes and melodies: he carried raw emotion.
Personally, the last time I witnessed young Vic perform live was during the 60th birthday of the Esit Eket local government Chairman, Mrs Uduak Ikott. When the MC introduced him to sing, his first tunes were birthday melodies. They were soft, sentimental, the kind of songs more rooted in feelings than theatrics.
But moments later, destiny took over the microphone.
The Esit Eket Chairman, moved by the boy’s courage, leaned over to the MC and pledged an additional ₦1 million to encourage him. The MC, sensing a moment of magic, challenged the boy to deliver a “one-million-naira song.” And he did.
In seconds, the hall erupted into a reggae arena. Chris Vic flowed effortlessly into timeless jams, “One Love, Let’s Get Together”, and other rhythmic pieces that got the entire hall on their feet. The boy danced. The audience danced. Even dignitaries who rarely moved at public functions swayed to his beat.
His charm was magnetic. So much so that the House Member for Esit Eket, Udobia Friday, swept up by the energy, offered another ₦500,000.
I remember jokingly whispering to the Chairman that I also want to take to the stage for my own million-naira moment which made her burst out in laughter. This goes on to show that talent can open doors that circumstances try to shut and Chris Vic’s keeps getting better.
Chris has challenged others in similar situations, others who end up on street corners, at traffic lights, with bandanas and bowls, appealing to the kindness of strangers. Coins. Small notes. Blessings shared for tokens received. He refused that fate. He did not allow his limitations or the limitations others expected of him to define him. Instead, he chose the path of courage, much like Bartimaeus in the Bible, who positioned himself where salvation could find him.
When Chris Vic heard that the government delegation would be attending the Akwa Ibom Unity Concert over the weekend, he made a bold decision to show up.
And because he showed up, destiny showed up for him, but this time around in a massive way.
Struck by his performance, Governor Umo Eno, a man whose administration has increasingly become known for empathy-driven interventions was touched to transform the young creative’s life.
Mind you, this is not the governor’s first act of compassion. He has built hundreds of compassionate homes across the state and even extended to the neighboring Cross River.
Also, he publicly mourned and supported a young Akwa Ibom makeup artist who died on set, while building a career. His leadership has continually shown a pattern of lifting ordinary people in extraordinary ways. How about the elderly woman he jumped out of his moving car to help while attending a church service in Itu? Or the millions he feeds periodically through his free food initiative for the poorest of the poor?
But Chris Vic’s story touched him differently. Moved by the boy’s courage, disability-defying creativity, and undeniable talent, Governor Eno announced a life-changing package: a plot of land in Uyo, a fully built 4-bedroom house, a world-class music studio funded at ₦100 million, and a monthly stipend of ₦1 million for the duration of his tenure.
This was not mere charity. This was investment in talent, potentials, and dignity. For Governor Eno, Chris Vic’s story should inspire not only people living with disabilities but every young person striving for greatness. It is also a statement of what governance should mean- humane, responsive, transformative.
The night began with a boy ushered into a hall. It ended with a future rewritten. A visually-impaired boy who might have been overlooked in the society instead became the center of national attention, not because of sympathy, but because of capability.
The message is clear. Where circumstance blocks the way, talent breaks through. And where society looks away, compassion can rebuild destinies.
Chris Vic’s journey is now a reminder that greatness doesn’t always begin with perfect conditions. Sometimes it begins with showing up.
Sometimes it begins with someone believing in you. And sometimes, as this weekend proved, it begins with a song.
