In the days of Chief Godwin Chikeluba, Onwa and his friends also Business associates namely Chief Johnson Akunwanne Igwe (Ide Oka Etiti), Chief Mike Arinze, Ogene Oka Etiti, that was when the Spirit of lifting one unto greater height was the target,the Joy of being light, they acted as Pillars that help the growth of the Town, they took philanthropy to another level.
In the real sense Onwa or say GMO can't be called Philanthropic entity, they don't do the job of a Philanthropy which is helping or giving Alms, rather they simply create a world where people who they made will be the Philanthropy, in today's world He (Onwa) should be called "Oga Ndi Oga for real", He is Ogaranya na eme Ogaranya ezigbo Ogaranya... (He is a Wealthy Man that makes a Rich man, creamy Rich).
They grew many and the lives they touched grew like IROKO, there was no games in thier ways, they don't just help, they made the person a success.
Then as they wax older and more Enterprising the Duo of Chief Joe Best (Odinanwa) and IKB IGBOANUGO took the Philanthropic segment to Hossana Level, they actually added Swag, candor and Pilgrim to the Level, it get to a time, if you are a big boy in South East and you have never attended END OF THE YEAR PARTY hosted by JOE BEST or IKB, then you are nonentity in annals of Ndi nwe Obodo.
I wasn't about the fanfare or the display of wealth, but I am about how they dragged many of Ndi Oka ETITI into the ways of making Wealth and being established, we became synonymous with wealth and we were wealthy and healthy, though it affected our Girls in marriages, because many of our Girls can't stay in Husband house if the Husband is not from Oka Etiti as the Wife will be forming Nwanne Joe Best or IKB, even though many of them do not know them one on one, but the glory with the Legend held sway.
It also dealt with our Boys, none wants to further study, none wants to go and serve to be settled as Igbo Culture provides, they all wanted to be as Rich as the Duo, many ended up with Garment of MOSES, they saw the Canan but never stepped into it.
On several occasions, I remember that Joe Best brought out some Lump of Money then, I can't remember how much and gave to many Boys,but the money wasn't anything less than 5K American Dollars equivalent, so they can be established and return the money after some years, so others will get it and prosper as well.
It was a plan to eradicate poverty and establish a Kingdom of wealth, but as far as I can tell, if any of the Boys returned the money it must be na EKE NNABA and never in physical.
As the Town were growing and glowing with sky as the next level, the sudden death of Justice Anoliefo in mid eithies brought the Town down from Utopian height, well some people made merchandise of the situation as if nemesis is just a name,they turned the tears and grief to money making ventures, they abused the land thoroughly and they think they have cheated Nature, well I can say with authority as Last Born Mpa Nnukwu that it's not the day one eat Nri Okenye ka ona aru Oru, a times it takes 9 months and denial will become realistic evidence.
Well Oka ETITI lost the spirit, buried the zeal and anyi welu to na ukpo ya rue Tata(We are suffering the aftermat).
The Wealth tree in OKA ETITI migrated to Ichida, Oraukwu, Neni and many other places, making meaning to the saying "Nwata ju Nri, ibeya erie".
As we dwell on kpukpunkpu OGENE that never allow us to lift head among the Pillars once again....
As the hopes were lost and concerns ripped apart, that was when OZUO OMEE, Chief MATHEW EMEJURU known in the business world as AKIOTA WORKS, a man with jovial demeanor, a man who is sound from center and goes right into circumference, a Contractor with reach and Riches, he imported a recovery agenda that would've launched the town to Height of Ogini na afio, he brought ENTERPRENUERSHIP PROGRAM, packaged in UNN and brought to OKA ETITI where our own illustrious and silent achiever, Onowu Oka ETITI, Chief Innocent Anoliefo, known Nationaly as OLOROGUN the peace maker, headed the coordination.
Over 100 Sons of the Soil were trained in our own OKA ETITI, and the cost of training bore by same OZUO OMEE, then after the training each participants were empowered, over 50 Million Naira from Akiota were used for the empowerment proper, do not forget that Akiota was a power Force, if not the best Construction company East of the Niger, but when the Government of Anambara goes North, his works were marked for total suppression, all the projects he was handling were either forgotten or buried with prejudice, it was kind of open determination of Powers that be, to make sure he doesn't finish his good works in the state as it is evident that he is giving Foreign Construction Giants run for thier money.
May be the fear of allowing the First Local Construction Company that bested JULIUS Berger, the Giant Construction Company that started and remain a dominant Force in Nigeria, made that suppressive move manifest.
Well silently he evacuated his machines as his Contracts were voided or allowed to lie farrow , he lost all he soaked into existing Projects he was executing and life continued, but that never affected his love toward trying to bring back bacon of hope to the town...
But fate played another one on the town as some members of the commitee approved the Funds meant for those who were trained at the Skill acquisition and Enterprenuership program to peers and relations, denying the qualified the fund.
The fund that was meant to return after years, so it can be recycled, they buried the money ka ife onye anataro Army, now check out those who acted with prejudice and nezie ka fa si ebe Agu mbo, fa na ife na eme (They are conquering nature only in fevered dreams alone) .
The history of the renewed Philanthropic gesture of the Town can't be whole without mentioning some of the people who did the best they can, people like OZUO OMEE, our prayers will be that, even as the state Government decided that quality work makes them uncomfortable, so they jettison his great work out of despise, other states that knows the worth of quality will snap him and he will bounce back to the path he created.
This is Mkpisi Ndi Egede moving out of Political prose toward... Digging deep into Igbo History, when it is time for Politics, I can always do my Analytical job.
Mazi Odera heading to UGWUOBA, Maka Okpa na Cashew nuts for breakfast ... Do not ask me how about the Quarantine, I have my Ikenga and ikwu ikiri is for those of us that has what it takes.
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