COVID-19: HIS MAJESTY IGWE UMENYIORA DOLES OUT GIFTS TO WIDOWS, SICK AND ELDERLY IN OGBUNIKE COMMUNITY
It was indeed a joyous Saturday in Ogbunike Community as the Traditional Ruler, Igwe J.O Umenyiora (Ezedioramma 1 of Ogbunike, Okpala Iguedo), Oyi Local Government Area, Anambra State distributed over 1000 bags of 10kg rice, cartons of Tummy-Tummy noodles and tin tomatoes to widows, the sick and elderly to help cushion the effects of the lockdown occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic.
While addressing the beneficiaries in his round palace, Igwe Umenyiora commended Governor Willie Obiano for the stimulus packages recently distributed to the elderly who are 70 years of age and above in all the 181 communities in the State.
” My children said Dad, it’s time you rest so we can take over, that they want to do things for the widows. You’ve been doing it for ages and next year you’ll be eighty (80) and will be celebrating your forty-five (45) years on the throne. So, I said okay whatever you want to do now you can do them”.
“Am highly impressed because the Governor started it and I expect everybody to come to the aid of the government because they can’t do it alone.”
“So that not withstanding, I think the little my children are giving, they can manage it. They’re willing to do more for Ogbunike Community.”
“The beneficiaries were selected from villages, kindreds and each told us how many widows they have and our substantive Chiefs will confirm. We have the right people to share to not impersonators”.
“You’ve to be present to pick the items yourself unless you can not move out of your house then we will send someone to your house with the consignment to your home to make sure you receive it. We don’t want to hand it over to anyone who will divert the materials, not with me, you must receive it”.
Igwe Umenyiora also commended Ndi Ogbunike for there 100% compliance to the State Government’s directives on the stoppage of burial, wedding and other social gatherings due to the Covid19. He said; ” its unfortunate but you don’t have to blame anybody, you don’t blame the Governor, he has done marvelously well for the State. Infact we have to sympathize with him because he has done a lot of projects for communities in Anambra and at same time with this problem, he’s still giving us food to eat.”
“Our people should really come together and assist him. I hate the idea of seeing our people donating 1billion Naira to FG and then coming to our State to donate one or two million, our people need to start thinking now.”
He also called on wealthy Ogbunike individuals to come to the rescue of the vulnerable people in the community who can’t support themselves at this critical period.
On his part, the Caretaker Chairman of Ogbunike Progress Union, Comr. Chukwugozie Ikegulu commended the Royal family for the palliatives. He commended some of our indigenes that have already started reaching out to their kindred and urge others to follow suit so as to help fight the effects of the virus.
The Traditional Prime Minister of the community, Chief A.C Osadebe (Akaeze Ogbunike) said it was not an easy task to coordinate but early preparation was the key to the success recorded that day.
“I delegated responsibility to all the substantive Chiefs down to the kindred Chairmen to get us names of the widows in the their villages for the palliatives on Covid-19, that’s why it was very easy to coordinate.
What we did in other to comply with the State Government’s directives on social distancing is that we gave 10feet apart in starking the items and then grouped crowd in four persons giving a gap of about 3metres while they’re are going to the Ofala ground to collect their gifts.”
Mrs Benice Maduka who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries praised the Igwe for helping not just the widows but all the sick and elderly in the community.
” Your Majesty, since you became our King, you’ve carried out wonderful projects in our community like our Town Hall, the first secondary school in Ogbunike, our famous Oye-olisa market, post office, roads and numerous schoolarships to our children and today again you’ve come with this palliative to help cushion the effects of Covid-19 in our community. We pray for good health, long life and may God continue to bless your children in all spheres of their lives”.
“We’re going home with our rice, noodles and tomatoes in a happy mood, Ife dika gi akokwana Ogbunike”. She concluded.
