2023: WHY NDI ORUMBA ARE CLAMOURING FOR ONYENDOZI
By Okey Emmanuel
(okey.ODEWAIWAI.com)
About 30 years ago, I once visited my junior brother who was then serving as an apprentice in a motor spare parts shop in Lagos. I noticed his trading colleagues - mostly from Nnewi and Idemili - calling him Igwe Abilikete. When I later inquired why he was going by that nickname, I was told his colleagues unanimously gave him the name immediately they learned that he is from Orumba.
I could feel a nostalgic shiver through my nerves as the name Abilikete reminded me the golden days of Orumba. Those were the days when Chief TN Madu of Owerrezukala, Awgu Nwaenwe of Isulo, Chief Ebenezer Onuigbo of Akpu, Chief Onyekwene of Ufuma, Chief Dr Alex Ekwueme, and many others gave Orumba a pride of place in the comity of political zones in the South East.
The colossus himself - Igwe Abilikete, Chief MN Ugochukwu - was the bull.
In the days of these great pillars of thought, Orumba zone had a thundering voice at all quarters where political matters were discussed. That was the active force that made the zone produce for Ndi Igbo the first and only vice president of the federal republic so far in the history of Nigerian politics.
Today, the present generation of Orumba still smells the fragrance of those golden days through landmarks like Federal Polytechnic Oko, Federal College of Education Umunze, Basden Memorial Secondary School Isulo and Niger Diocesan Hospital Uumunze.
When, one day, I came across a banner post: ONYENDOZI ORUMBA Foundation, the question that came to my mind was: can Orumba gain back its old glory? On deeper reflection, I had a thought that there's a possibility that our beloved Orumba can still gain back its pride of place in Anambra politics. That pushed me to understudy the man behind ONYENDOZI ORUMBA.
My search revealed a vibrant young man, Engr. Prince Promise Ike from Ezira, Orumba. South LGA. An Engineering graduate, this humble son of a royal blood has through his social contract with the masses helped in alleviating the suffering of many vulnerable citizens of Orumba. He has taken the boldness of empowering a generation of Orumba youths to the admiration of many. And as action begets reaction, Orumba youths are already clamouring for him to represent the zone in Abuja in the Federal House of Representatives.
When asked why he came up with the NGO, Onyendozi, the China based business tycoon - Prince Promise - said that he's bothered by the situation of Orumba people especially the youths who are daily faced with the temptation of joining bad gang due to frustration. According to him, he had travelled to developed nations and seen strategic ways of engaging the youths in developing their talents and engaging them economically. He has also mapped out a line up of programmes for the empowerment of Orumba youths.
Perhaps, through Onyendozi Orumba, the old glory of Orumba may return.
@okey.ODEWAIWAI.com
1 comment:
Well written. The brand we have now are happy locking up their kindreds and comitting abominations. Those giants never locked up anybody from their respective towns. I remember them and their good deeds. I am fro Nkerehi and I am talking with experience
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