Emelie Okika Foundation: Students, Community leaders in Anambra commend Oba Okika and wife, Ngozi

ODOGWU EMEKA ODOGWU reports for www.odogwublog.com that a cross section of Community Leaders, Students and women in Anaocha , Anambra state in particular and South-East at large at the weekend commended the selfless service of Chief Emelie Okika, Chairman Emelia Okika Empowerment Foundation, a Non-Governmental  Organization in the last 10 years spread across South East.

The stakeholders spoke during the inauguration of over One Hundred Million Naira (N100,000,000.00) Endowment Trust worth Oba Okika Foundation for academic upliftment and skill acquisition of talented but poor children across South East but particularly in Anambra state at Nri Civic Center , Nri , Anaocha local government area, Anambra state.

The Oba Emelie Okika Foundation core aims include granting of scholarship to qualified indigent students; promoting quality and gender sensitive education in the coverage areas; building up an intellectual capacity and securing access to best academic centers in the international level for young people; and assisting students continue their studies by providing scholarship, grants and educational materials for better success.

Others aims are providing grant facilities and material helps for education, training and care to persons who are physically and mentally challenged and assisting development of gifted children and capable young people by providing equal opportunities based exclusively on their professional skills and sponsoring their education , professional training and creative development.

The Stakeholders asked Oba Emelie Okika to concentrate more in his state though he has South East in mind, noting that his good deeds to mankind would be blessed by God.

For a woman in Nri, Mrs Fransisca Offoredu, Oba Okika is the best thing that has happened to widows , challenged people and poor school children as well as other less privileged in the society as he has continued to show that he is a good man. He is a good man and we love him as he loves us.

Some students, Asuquo Ephraim Samuel from Agulu Grammar School; Joe-Ikeorah Jennifer Girls High School Agulu ; Okafor Marry-Cynthia from Lorretto Special Science School Adazi Nnukwu and Ugwube Ujunwa from Flora Azikiwe Model Comprehensive Secondary School, Neni , Oba Okika remained the best thing that has happened to humanity particularly students of poor parentage in South East particularly Anambra state , urging him not to relent in giving to humanity selflessly as only God will reward his philanthropy. The Students who were shocked at the commitment of Okika foundation to the future of young ones, prayed God to replenish him and grant him good health and life to do more.

For Oba Chigozie Kelvin Obiaegbunam, the President General of Nri Development Union and Chief Launcher, Oba Okika’s traits and lifestyle is a dream come true for the Nri people, Anambra state and South-East sequel to his unconditional charity and philanthropy. He described him as a charismatic leader waiting to blossom, if given support and solidarity since his singular act of giving hope to the young ones especially the needy and hopeless unconditionally is immeasurable. He asked the students to make judicious use of the school materials donated to them. He applauded the wife Mrs Ngozi Maureen Okika for her motherly support and being a morale booster.

Announcing the results of the foundation’s 2017/2018 quiz competition by all the 16 Secondary Schools in Anaocha, the Chairman of the Anambra state Post Primary School Services Commission, PPSSC, Lady Joy Ulasi represented by Mrs Esther Anohu commended Chief Emelie Okika for his unique scholarship scheme and schools quiz competition which is rare. She commended his good spirit in championing infrastructural development at public schools by partnering government even as she urged him not to relent.

She encouraged the students to take their studies serious always, commending the good spirit of the students both Science and Arts for performing creditably. She announced Girls Secondary School Agulu as first, Bubendorff Memorial Grammar School, Adazi-Nnukwu as 2^nd and Agulu Girls High School as 3^rd while Lorretto Special Science School Adazi Nnukwu came 4^th and Community Secondary School Akwaeze came 5^th in Sciences. In Arts, she announced Flora Azikiwe Model Comprehensive Secondary School, Neni as 1^st , Community Secondary School Agulu as 2^nd , Orjiakor Memorial Secondary School Adazi Ani as 3^rd while Community Secondary School, Aguluzoigbo as 4^th.

Speaking about the foundation earlier, its secretary, Barr Anike Raphael Nkem

But elucidating on that , the Coordinator of Oba Emelie school scheme and a Trustee of the Emelie Okika Scholarship Foundation, Mr Anayochukwu Agbata announced that Oba Okika has helped so many in the country particularly South-Eastern Nigeria and that over One point Nine Million naira (N1.9 Million was spent in 2016/2017) Academic year on scholarship to 18 students across South-East. He said since 2004 , Oba Okika has been assisting Regal Secondary School Nri in its infrastructure upgrade to the tune of about One Million naira.

Over One Million naira (N1,000,000) was spent on the annual quiz competition with the first position going home with Two Hundred Thousand naira, (N200,000) each for Science and Arts  and second position going home with One Hundred thousand naira (N100,000) while the third position went home with Fifty thousand naira (N50,000) even as Twenty (20) other students got consolation prizes for their participation.

Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance, (APGA), Anambra state, Sir Norbert Obi represented by Pastor Emma Adibe, Anaocha local government Chairman, and Engr Ikeobi Ejiofor was represented by Chijioke Onyemetelu lauded Oba Okika for the empowerment initiative.

Wife of the founder of Emelie Okika foundation, Mrs Ngozi Maureen Okika, although she did not speak but her expression throughout the event was that a fulfilled woman who indeed supported the outing entirely without reservation.

In his speech, Chairman Emelia Okika Empowerment Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organization, Chief Emelie Okika, said the foundation is targeted at giving life a meaning which is its motto, and to be a leading Non-Governmental Organization targeting for a better life for youths with academic potentials and skills through annual quiz competition, workshops and training programmes while asking for partnership from government, other NGO’s and private organizations as well as individuals.

According to the Chairman of  the  foundation,  Emelie  Okika   who described   the  effort and achievements as a ' dream come true ',  helping  the indigents  and less privileged  in our society  to gain access  to good  and quality  education  and skill  acquisition  through  scholarships and grants has been his dream project having come from abject poor background and God saw him through.

His words:  " This  dream was an inspiration  that was conceived  several  years ago  to give to as many indigents   ,physically and mentally challenged  and less privileged  in our communities a benefiting live through  the medium  of scholarships  and sponsorship  with a view  at getting  qualitative   education and training  in different  field of endeavours.  This achievement today is a product of hard work, determination, perseverance and focus in achieving this noble goal.

" It has been my humble  determination  to set up this project that will be  a life changing  experience  to our  sons and daughters  who are in one way or the other deprived  of the privilege  of adequate  resources  to pursue  their  dream an passions.  The power of education is undeniable all across the world, both socially and personally, in both developing and developed countries.  It has even been referred to by the United Nation as the universal "passport to human development '.

"I believe that as one person I cannot change the world, but I can change the world of one person  at a time  through the medium of this foundation.  We are  mindful of the importance  of addressing  the  basic social needs  from grass root  level  in order to  ensure  improved  factors  that determine  good health  such as  food security,  good  education  and  quality  care  service  delivery  etc.

"These are infrastructures which cannot left only  for government  to attend.  It must  take passion for well-meaning  Nigerians  whom God has blessed  in one way or the other  to rise to the occasion of complimenting   Efforts  of the government  in this regards .Helping the  indigent  children, windows  and  other  less privileged  in the society  has been my fort  and passion and  my family  in no less measure  have taken it upon then selves to render  helping hands. This ideal  gave  rise  to the vision  of founding  EMELIE OKIKA  EMPOWERMENT  FOUNDATION  with the  core aims of :

"To grant  scholarship to qualified indigent students, To promote  quality  and gender  sensitive  education  in the coverage areas, To grant scholarship to qualify  mentally and physically  challenged students ,To provide  grants  facilities  and materials  helps  for  education, training  and care to persons who are mentally and physically challenged., To assist  in the  development  of gifted children  and capable  young  people  by  providing  equal  opportunities  bases  exclusively  in their  professional skills and sponsoring their  education, professional  and creative  development among others.

"Some of my friends have asked me, Emelie!  Why are you focusing on education out of other basic needs of life?  I am always quick to respond that '" Slavery is one of the worst form of violence as it is  the denial  of education.  Education is the key to liberate mankind from slavery and poverty.  Hunger is as well adorn of slavery.  I do not  consider it as  most important  to give  somebody  fish with will  result him  coming  back to me  when the fish finishes but i consider  it the most noblest  to teach him how to fish  so  he will not  only  satisfy his  Hunger but will be  able to teach  others  who are hungry too. Education  to me is most  powerful weapons  ever  in the world  and I must help others  who may not have the ability to  discover  this potent Weapon of liberation.  It is a worthy saying that " He who opens a school door, closes a prison."

" The objectives  of this foundation  is to give back to the community  and the  country  at large  which has  provided  me the  enabling  ladder  for  my success  in business  and endeavours  .I counted  myself  as been  blessed  to have known the dignity  that it is in hard work  and determination.  I never enjoyed bliss and affluence as people refer Golden spoon as a child due to my family background.  My parents hardly eked out a decent living let alone affording us good and quality education. My ascendency  to wealth  was not through  a single  stride  but years of self denial, integrity, honesty, determination ,hard work  and above all the grace of  God. Looking  back  at those years  leaves  me  with  all sense  of gratitude  to embark  on this life  transforming  project that will  definitely  outlive  me even after  I am gone.

"To every good act is a charity. A man's  true  wealth  hereafter  is the good  that he does  in this world  to  his fellows  which  live after  him  even after  he is gone. Our  power  lies in our  small  daily  choice s,  I shall  pass  this way but once ,any good  that I can do  or any kindness  I can show  to any human being , let me not defer nor neglect  it, for I shall not  pass this way again.

Highlight included presentation of cheques to winners and dance by Nri women group among others.