A former senator, who represented Rivers South-East Senatorial District in the seventh National Assembly, Magnus Abe, has revealed how he slept under the bridge while he was stranded during his youthful days in Port Harcourt.
Abe, who stated this during an interactive session with youths and young professionals in Port Harcourt, also narrated how he overcame challenges earlier in life.
Abe explained that he preferred to sleep under a bridge and work hard in achieving excellence than rely on friends and acquaintances for help.
The former senator who narrated his past experiences to inspire the youths said if saddled with the responsibility to pilot the affairs of Rivers State, he would create an environment that would engender growth and prosperity across the board.
While urging the youths to change their approach and imbibe the culture of hard work and determination, he stated that nothing would be difficult for them to achieve if they prioritised those qualities.
He said, “I am going through my own story, if I go further back into my story, you will find yourself somewhere in my story. I have had issues, I have had challenges. There were times when I had no place to sleep in this town. No matter how late I stayed in Port Harcourt, I had to go back to my village, because I had nowhere to sleep.
“Several times, 2 am in the night sometimes, I would be stranded here and I will sleep under the bridge in this town because I didn’t want to go and start waking up my friends to beg them for where to sleep in their houses.”
“I went through that but there were opportunities,” Abe stated, noting that after becoming a lawyer, he refused to run to anyone for financial assistance to acquire his professional dressing,” he stated
Abe said he preferred to borrow wig and gowns from his friends in the legal profession, especially, when they were not going to court until he was able to acquire one for himself.