A NEW DAWN IN IKWUANO: I weep Seeing People Not Fully Empowered, Says Ossy Nwaka, As he unveils NEF *Warns Exco against hoarding gift items
The President and Chairman of New Era Foundation, (NEF), has revealed that he is often moved with compassion whenever his eyes behold people wallowing in penury especially among his people, in Ikwuano LGA government of Abia State.
In his burning zeal to drive home dividends of democracy through an evidential partnership with the Labour Party led administration of Dr. Alex Otti, Comrd. Osinachi Nwaka, the President of New Era Foundation has pledged to renew the hope of the people of Ikwuano through his work of charity, thereby alleviating poverty from among the Council.
New Era Foundation, according to Comrd. Nwaka, is a non-profit organisation created with a view to assuaging the age-long penurious condition of the people of Ikwuano thus giving back to the society.
Speaking at the official launching of the Foundation and the inauguration of her Executives, at Ndoro Oboro, inp Ikwuano LGA of Abia State, Saturday, June 3, the Convener and renowned philanthropist reiterated that the essence of establishing the Foundation was to ameliorate the suffering of the masses.
He stressed that the Foundation would work in synergy with the Government of Otti in her bid to bring to accomplishment the latter’s slogan hence, ‘Weep No More; Help Has Come’, through notable selfless services to the people of Ikwuano.
“New Era is a Foundation through which we reach out to the less privileged, the widows and the indigent people among us; to empower them, partner the goverment of Labour Party; to make sure that Dr. Alex Otti’s ‘Weep No More’ slogan would have impacts on the people; to make it a reality. We’re here to render selfless services to the people and when we say we care, we mean we care.”
Addressing the the people, the President informed that the emergence of Otti would not only wipe away tears from the destitute but also restore their hope and dignity, as he reassured the people particularly the youths of the envisaged ‘light at the end of the tunnel’.
“The day Dr. Alex Otti won, I sang a new song because I knew that good things would begin to happen in Abia. Do not kill yourself as a youth because help has come”, he reaffirmed.
Nwaka urged people to follow strictly the footprints of the Governor whom he described as his mentor, having been tested and trusted, as well as Dr. Monday Ubani (Esq.), the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association Section of Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL), and Hon. Boniface Isienyi, the member-elect for Ikwuano State Constituency.
Hear him: “I’m following Dr. Alex Otti, he’s my mentor and in Ikwuano, I’m following Dr. (Barr.) Monday Ubani and Hon. Isienyi.
“They’re tested and trusted. If you disobey them, you have disobeyed me. So, let all the youths know that they’re our leaders and our mentors.”
He, therefore, charged the newly inaugurated Executives of NEF who were selected from across the four clans of the Council, NEF President charged the formerly to endeavour to replicate the aim of the Foundation thereby ensuring that items meant for the indigents to extenuate hardship are neither confiscated nor hoarded, rather are evenly distributed to them.
“We are here to rescue our people from poverty but when we give you something to give to the people, don’t hoard it. You’re like a conduit pipe. You know when a conduit pipe is meant to deliver oil from Niger Delta to somewhere, when you don’t deliver that oil, unknown gunmen or militants will burst the pipe. So, don’t let our people to burst the pipe; let the oil pass through your hands to their own hands.”
Speaking in an exclusive interview with famousreporters.com, Nwaka admitted amidst utter humility that, being empowered by God with His blessings, he is duty bound to render help to the needy, pointing out that “service to humanity is service to God”.
In his words: “What inspired me is that in my life, God has blessed me. As I struggled as a young man who came from no where to somewhere, I weep when I see children who are not able to pay their school fees; I weep when I see a woman who gives birth and the husband does not have money to bring her out of the hospital and a lot other pathetic scenarios.
“I weep when I see people not fully empowered. So, as God has given to me and just like the Bible says: “Freely have you received and freely shall you give.” So, I’m here, in my own little way to offer assistance to the downtrodden. I’m not the richest man in Ikwuano but I just want to give my widow’s mite to the society in appreciation of all the good things and blessings God has bestowed upon me.”
In his remarks, Hon. Isienyi reiterated that the people would begin to enjoy all dividends of democracy following the emergence of Labour Party in the State and Constituency
“I want to assure you that dividends of democracy has commenced in Ikwuano and the entire state. The past administration has failed Ikwuano and the entire Abia. The roads are death traps and without mincing words, I must say that these people are wicked.
“So, if a bad Government could exist for 24 years in Abia, then Labour Party under the leadership of Dr. Alex Otti would exist for fifty years.
“NEW ERA is real; we don’t live fake lives, we don’t have to wait up until campaign period before we could begin to impact positively on the lives of our people. It will be wickedness on the side of our Chapter Coordinators if you fail to present to us challenges of the poor masses; get us that widow who has no roof over her head; give us that child or Youths who need our help; take us to that poor woman who has been abandoned at the hospital because her husband cannot pay her bills. Please, that’s why we’re here. So, weep no more for help has come.
“New era is not a political party; we’re non partisans. If just three persons could change Babylon, now we’re more than 200 and so we can initiate that change we desire for.
Furthermore, Dr. Monday Ubani (Esq.), who decried the protracted marginalisation and subjugation of Ikwuano consequent upon bad leadership, described Ossy Nwaka as a kind hearted man, while commending him for deeming it fit to partner the Government in mitigating poverty in the area.
“Osinachi Nwaka is a kind hearted man together with his brothers and the Nwaka’s family as a whole. He birthed this foundation, New Era with the purpose of philanthropy and philanthropy that’s concentrated on Ikwuano for all the sons and daughters of Ikwuano. This work of charity extends to the men and women especially the less privileged, and the effort is to partner with the Government to drive home dividends of democracy.
According to Ubani, New Era is not an offshoot of government rather a private initiative of a concerned son of Ikwuano.
“It is not an offshoot of Government rather a private initiative of the Nwaka’s. But, Government has intentions of the welfare of the people; to provide safety and welfare. This structure also has the objective of providing welfare to the people. So, it’s a synergy. Whatever goverment does, this man is doing it also to assist the government, because government cannot do everything; Government cannot be everywhere. If he empowers one person now, that one person will empower two persons and by the time those two persons are empowered, they’ll not be fighting for government’s appointments because they’re busy.
Ubani used the medium to advise other prominent sons and daughters of Ikwuano to, as much as they possibly could, emulate the lifestyle of the Nwaka’s in making sure that poverty is totally eradicated from the Council.
“Every body needs to be inspired to begin to do things like this in Ikwuano and in fact, starting from their villages to empower their people and gradually, they’ll extend it to their Wards and from the Wards to the Local Government.
“That’s how to do these things. By the time you do two or three, then the other ones will now begin to do for others and before you know it, there’s what we call generated welfare and wealth being spread. When wealth is spread, people will not depend on Government any longer. If you go to Anambra, most of the roads that are tarred were done by the people. It’s most of them that bring electricity to their communities, including most of the basic infrastructure, skill acquisitions are done by the people of Anambra and not their goverment.
“So, I recommend this to our local communities so that we can begin to do this in order to help alleviate poverty and for our people to be very happy.
Corroborating, Eze Ralph Ogbonna, the traditional ruler of Ndoro Oboro, reassured the people of Ikwuano that Nwaka would perform all he had outlined, as he also enjoined them to throw their weights behind him.
“We all have to stand by him so that he can be able to perform all he has promised. I’m a traditional ruler and we shall promote and support anyone who has come out to alleviate the suffering of the people.
And my prayer is that God will never abandon you, my son, Osinachi. He shall always bless and protect you.”
Continuing, the royal father urged the party through the leader in Council, Ubani to ensure that Ikwuano experienced facelifts in the present administration.
Also, Pastor Mike Nwaka, the younger brother to Osinachi, amidst optimisms, assured the people “that Ikwuano will soon have a different look. With the presence of these giant men in the State House, we shall have a new Ikwuano.”
Meanwhile, he described Isienyi as a great man, saying, “Ikwuano did not make a mistake in their choice of a house member. Very soon, you’ll see the impacts of new era.”
Contributing, the Rep. Member-elect for Isiala-Ngwa North and South Federal Constituency of Abia State, Hon. Ginger Onwusibe said, amidst ecstasy, that he had, among other Abians of good conscience, endorsed New Era Foundation, pointing out that it would not only bring about a total rehabilitation of the Council but the state in general.
Represented by Comrd. Chibudo Nwachukwu (aka. T-man), he said Abia had been liberated from her prolonged bondage.
“I thank God that most of the people in Labour Party are God fearing like our leader, Dr. Monday Ubani. We have many strange elements in our midst who had come as wolves in sheep clothing but God rescued us. What is happening in Ikwuano and Abia is not the making of man but God’s work. We have to be peaceful and accommodating but we must scrutinize anyone from other parties before welcoming any one from other parties to be sure that you have good intentions.
“Our brother, Ossy has invested immensely in this movement and it is the making of God and not man.
“Ossy has not formed this structure in Ikwuano to begin to give you rice, beans, whatsoever rather this has been formed for you to be able to give to the structure for the betterment of the Council.
Earlier in his opening remarks, Chief Hon. Peter Ndubuwa, Clan Coordinator, New Era, in Ikwuano, as he highlighted that the programme was formed with the sole aim of solving the needs of the indigent persons in Ikwuano, through scholarships, empowerment programmes, etc.
“This is a non-governmental organization founded by the President General of Nde Nwaka of Itunta Ibere in Ikwuano L.G.A. of Abia State; Mr. Osinachi Nwaka, whose believe is that he is lifted to lift others. The programme of the Foundation addresses the needs of the indigent persons in our society through educational scholarships to brilliant indigent students, women empowerment, youth empowerment and community development.
According to him, the prime focus of the movement “is to assist the government to empower widows and orphans and to undertake other humanitarian and charitable activities in our rural communities.”
In a related development, Hon. Chief Charles Ugboaja, a stakeholder of LP in the Council described the Government of Otti as divine and anointed, emphasising that God, through His mercy and grace has liberated Abia.
Adding, he said: “And we Abians ran the election through Alex Otti. We really know that with this development, the narratives of Abians will definitely be changed.
The former leader of Ikwuano Legislative Council expressed acrimony towards the issue of godfatherism, regretting that same had crippled the state but expressed gratitude to God for the liberation of the State.
He used the medium to laud the feats as achieved by the President of NEF thereby working in accordance with the vision of Otti in eradicating poverty from among the people of Ikwuano.
Moreso, Comrd. Daniel Ezegbe (Aka De King), Ariam Usaka Council for New Era, in an interactive session with famous Reporters.com, affirmed that that New Era Foundation had come to stay in Ikwuano.
Adding, he said: “And with it’s emergency, we will mobilise all well meaning sons and daughters in all the nooks and crannies of Ikwuano to compliment the effort of Governor – Dr. Alex Otti in bringing development to the people of Ikwuano.
“In a concise approach I will describe Com. Osinachi Nwaka in five personality traits that makes a good Charity leader-
Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism and Openness”, he noted.
While applauding the outstanding efforts of Nwaka, De King posited that his anticipation for Ikwuano with the arrival of New Era Foundation in Ikwuano was to aid in the amelioration of the suffering of Ikwuano people.
“It requires the ability to look ahead to see things others don’t see and then developing solutions or gaining leverage needed for success. The rewards of life are most available to those thoughtful beings who can see into the future and are prepared to act when their moment of good fortune appears. Those who anticipate future events are prepared to exploit and harness the potentials within the four clans of Ikwuano.
