as Prof. Madufor, Ibe, Obodo, Akunya, Uzor and Alozie Demonstrate Support.
In a bid to put smiles on the faces of indigent widows in the Agwa clan, Hon. Dr. Louis Nonye Obodo, on December 25, 2024, made public his intentions to empower 30 widows with the sum of fifty thousand Naira (N50,000) each to start any petty business of their choice to support their families.
The statement reads: “2024 Xmas And New Year Bonanza! This Xmas to mark the return of peace and help eradicate poverty in Agwa, following the devastation of the past couple of years, “Kindly help nominate anyone you know that resides in Agwa that (N50,000) will surely impact in her life”.
The statement noted further criteria that must be met to qualify a nominee to benefit from the empowerment to be; a mother, someone between 25 and 55 years of age, preferably widows, and above all, who does not have a child or direct sibling who can gift her N50,000.
In response to this announcement, nominees were largely churned out who are all deserving of empowerment across Agwa.
To solve this selection dilemma, however, Dr. Obodo held a meeting with some of Agwa’s leaders to tinker with a better approach to giving out the money to the nominated recipient.
The outcome prompted to setting up of a committee through the Agwa Central Union (ACU) Women’s Wing with the following names:Hon. Chief Mrs. Rufina Emedurunwa, Chairman, Committee on Touching the Lives of the Indigent Widows; Mrs. Faith Nwanochi, (member), Anatah Chizoba (member), nomination committee; and Utazi Dorothy, National President/Woman Leader Agwa Central Union Women’s Wing.
The terms of reference of the committee were to ensure that nominees were verified to be indigent widows and that those who were nominated strictly met the criteria.
The committee was also tasked with suggesting the best way to reach out to recipients and help them, guiding the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the money as well as following up on the recipients so that those who make good use of their money can be supported in the future if need be.
Announcing the final selection of nominees and days of making the cash donations available to the 30 nominated widows from the Agwa clan, Dr. Obodo, a former Interim Management Transition Committee Chairman, Oguta LGA, Imo State, under the administration of Senator Rochas Okorocha and an Abuja-based optician, expressed his thanks to the committee for their painstaking job of nominating the recipients and importantly prioritising merits over sentiments.
Obodo’s remarks acknowledged the need to remember those of them who are not too fortunate to have someone who readily takes care of their needs, especially the mothers who bear the brunt of raising children but were financially handicapped to start-up businesses, as the drives behind the initiative.
Excerpts from his speeches read: “N50,000 Xmas Bonus
On 25th December 2024, I pledged to help a few Agwa women start a business and asked for nominations. I was really awed by the numbers that came in and sought advice from some Agwa leaders, where we agreed to set up a committee through the ACU Women Wing led by Dr. Dorothy Utazi”.
The committee members include; Hon.( Mrs.) Rufina Emedurunwa (Chairman, Committee on touching the lives of the indigent widows), Mrs. Faith Nwanochi (member), Anatah Chizoba (member nomination committee), Utazi Dorothy, National President/Woman Leader, Agwa Central Union Women’s Wing.
The committee set out work by way of verifying the identity of those nominated to be sure they met the criteria set for the award, suggesting the best ways to reach out to recipients and help them, guide the recipient towards the use of the money, and following up on the recipient such that those who make good use of their money can be supported in the future if need be.
Based on these,
the names below were selected to benefit from the first phase of the empowerment scheme as follows;
Onyedika Mbano,
Rita Nwokeocha,
Edna Ohamara,
Uchechi Ohamara,
Chikodi ihekerem,
Beatrice Morgan, and
Hope Egbulem.
UMUEKPU:
Chiemela chimamkpa,
Ogechi Nnorom,
Love Nwaneri,
Chizoba Alionye,
Ugochi Nnorom,
Ada uche, and Nwajioha.
UMUKPO:
Favour kpachi,
Mrs onyejiekwe.
UMUOFEKE:
Elizabeth kpachi Nwagbo.
UBAH:
Florence Okeoma, Zeb Ekeh.
OBEAKUMA
Ada.
OBEAMA
Blessing Onuegbula
ARO
Philomena Okerie,
Love Ebirim,
Patricia ogirinaya,
Azuanuka Ejinkonye
UMUOMI
Anette Joseph,
Victoria Julius,
Augusta Obodo, and
Angela Elendu
MGBALA
Beatrice Igbo,
Adline Atta,
Helen NwaejueI,
He enjoined those who nominated the persons to reach out to Dr.( Mrs.) Utazi to provide details towards receiving the money from now till January,27,2025.
With this, according to him, it is expected that each recipient will receive the money on or before January,31,2025.
Following these remarks on Thursday, 23rd January 2025, so many individuals have taken to their social media handles to pour encomium on Dr. Louis Nonye Obodo for the laudable initiative.
Barr. Benson Akunya, the President-General of ACU said: “Thank you, Dr. Louis Obodo, for your benevolence and, more importantly, the process through which the beneficiaries emerged. This is not the first time, nor will it be the last time. Your love for Agwa is profound, and God will bless you abundantly,” he said.
Prof. Innocent Madufor also thanked Dr. Louis Obodo for the kind gesture to those 30 widows.
God bless and protect you and replenish your purse,” he remarked.
Marcel Alozie appreciated Dr. Louis Obodo’s gesture; even as he prayed, God continued to enrich the donor.
According to him, Agwa will forever be grateful to him.
Godfrey Ahaoma Alozie-Obodo also appreciated Dr. Obodo for showing kindness to the indigent widow. “I want to join other well-meaning Agwa sons and daughters to commend the courage of my son, Hon. Dr. Louis Nonye Obodo, who deemed it necessary to remember the widows and our sisters in this period of economic difficulties. I know there are other cheerful givers of this kind in Agwa. I pray that God increases your sources of income to do more for yourself and others,” he said.
Prof. Kenneth Ibe, ” Dr. Louis, may God bless and reward you for this kind gesture. As you touched the lives of these women, may God touch you at any point of your need”, Ibe said.
Nduka Uzor, who took time to articulate his facilitation to Dr. Obodo, read: “Dear Dr. Louis Obodo, On behalf of the people of Agwa and the beneficiaries, I write to express my heartfelt gratitude for your generous gift of N50,000 to support some indigent widows in our community. Your kindness is a true reflection of your compassion and commitment to uplifting the less privileged in society. This is not the first of such. You raised funds for one girl in Mgbala to complete her law school. You donated generously to register some Agwa sons for the NECO exam. In remembrance of your mom, you gave scholarships to several people”
“These gestures of love and support will go a long way in restoring hope and dignity to those in need. You have demonstrated that giving is not just about wealth but about the willingness to make a difference in the lives of others. You may not know what you have done to these women in this period of hardship. You have given many of them a lifeline. As you continue to extend this kind of support, may the Almighty bless and reward you abundantly. May your efforts bring joy, peace, and fulfillment, and may your resources never run dry.”
“Indeed, those who give to the less fortunate are sowing seeds of goodness that will yield an everlasting blessings. Thank you, once again, Dr. Obodo for your extraordinary generosity. You are an inspiration to us all, and we pray that your acts of kindness will encourage many others to follow in your footsteps with profound gratitude,” he concluded.
Recall that Hon. Dr. Louis Nonye Obodo, a former House of Representative aspirant for Ohaji-Egbema/Oguta/Oru-West Federal Constituency in the 2011 general elections under the platform of the PDP, former House of Assembly Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2019 general elections for Oguta State Constituency, and former board member of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, had in different fora identified with indigent people, including empowering them educationally, medically, and otherwise.
As an eye specialist whose expertise is widely sought after locally and internationally, Dr. Obodo has donated countless medicated eyeglasses to eye patients who do not have the resources to take care of their sights and has, on many occasions, offered free consultations for needy eye patients as well as followed up on their development.
