By Izunna Okafor


Ukpor, the capital of Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State was agog over the weekend as a philanthropist and human capacity builder, Sir
Lawrence Onuchukwu officially launched the Law Onuchukwu Foundation, a charity organisation, for assisting the needy and the less privileged.

The event which took place at Ukpor Central School field, drew the participation of top government functionaries in the area, clergymen, beneficiaries drwan from the ten communities in Nnewi South, as well as pupils drawn from the sixty-three primary schools in the local government area.

Speaking at the event, the Transition Committee Chairman of Nnewi South L.G.A, Engr. Henry Chieloka Okoye who described the foundation as welcome development also lauded the gesture as a charitable approach towards providing selfless service to the humanity, maintaining that such charity-based foundations contribute a lot in ameliorating the sufferings of the needy and the less privileged in the society.

Acknowledging that one must not necessarily wait until he becomes a millionaire before he starts assisting others, Engr. Okoye eulogized the benefactor, Sir Onuchukwu for seeing the need to contribute in bettering the society through helping the needy and investing in human lives, even as he called on others to emulate such.

Earlier in his address of welcome, the benefactor and founder of the foundation, Sir Lawrence Onuchukwu said the foundation is a faith-based, non-governmental, non-political and non-profit making organisation which was purely established for charity reasons and for providing succour and economic empowerment to the less privileged in the society, most especially people living in extreme poverty, all with the aim of putting smiles on their faces.

While disclosing that he finances the program with fifty percent of his salary, Sir Onuchukwu who is the Executive Vice Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and National Chairman of Association of Local Government Vice Chairmen of Nigeria (ALGON) confessed that poverty knows not tribe nor religion, and further assured that he hope take the program beyond Anambra and beyond Nigeria, with the help of God.

He said, "Poverty knows no tribe or religion. In November by God's grace, I hope to replicate what I am doing today in Zaria, Kaduna State.
"I'm calling on all well meaning Nigerians to always remember the poor and reach out to them because nobody chose to be poor.
"I have informed my board of trustees that though the program started from my community but with God on my side, we will take it beyond Anambra and beyond Nigeria too. I hope to keep doing this every three (3) months and I need mostly your prayers and encouragement"

On his own part, the member representing Nnewi South Constituency two in the state's House of Assembly, Hon. Johnbosco Akaegbobi lauded Sir Onuchukwu for his philanthropic gestures and spirit, and for setting up such foundation, which he noted, will greatly impact the society and the humanity in a number of positive ways.
Hon. Akaegbobi, who pledged his unalloyed support to such charity foundations also called on other well-to-do individuals in the society to emulate and key into such initiative, by helping the needy around them and by giving back to the society no matter how little, even as he assured that before the completion of his four years in office as a legislator, there will no longer be any school in any part of his constituency where school children will be sitting on the floor or blocks to take lessons.

Addressing newsmen, the Managing Director, COGNI Associate Nig. Ltd. Mrs. Chinyere Chukwudebelu who represented the father of the day, Chief Francis Chukwudebelu commended Sir Onuchukwu and noted that almsgiving should be everybody's responsibility, no matter how little or how big, while also calling on everyone to henceforth make it a point of duty to always remember and help the needy around him or her, as according to her, that is a surest way of giving back to the society and eradicating poverty.

In their speeches, the Vice Chairman, Madosi Local Government, Kano
State, Hon. Mukfar Dahiru, and his Owerri Municipal
Council Area counterpart, Hon. Faisal Lawal lauded the founder of the foundation, Sir Onuchukwu for the initiative, and further harped on the need to encourage such foundation and charity-oriented initiatives.

Prior to the event proper, Sir Lawrence Onuchukwu visited Ohineleke Central School Ukpor where he had his primary school over thirty years ago, and also visited the Uboma Primary Health Centre, Ukpor, both of which he pledged to continually support. He equally visited his then headmistress during his primary school, Mrs. Priscillia Nneka Anyacho who disclosed that she was so overwhelmed with the unexpected visit and also thank God for making a child he taught decades ago to remember and show her such love, even in her old age.

The event featured distribution of ten thousand exercise books to sixty-three primary schools in Nnewi South, as well as distribution of over five hundred bags of rice to beneficiaries drawn from the ten towns that make up the Local Government Area.