Seahorse Lubricants Industries Ltd, a premium motor oil manufacturer donates ten million Naira (#10m) for food to all the towns in EKWUSIGO LGA.

The company said that the palliative is a corporate social responsibility which will help to cushion the harsh effects of the nationwide lockdown occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic.

A committee of eight was set up from all the towns in the LG to manage the money. By consensus, the committee bought two thousand, one hundred bags of rice and one thousand cartons of Noodles for distribution in all the towns in the LG. Out of this quantity, one hundred bags were independently given out to the Royal fathers, the clergy, and others.

Presenting the food items on Friday, April 24, 2020, to the accredited representatives of the towns at the premises of the company, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the company, His Royal Majesty, Dr. Ebuka Onunkwo, thanked God for the privilege to contribute to the good of mankind.

Dr. Onunkwo, who is also the Eze Ndigbo of Benin Republic pointed out that these are tough times and as many people, especially the indigents and the vulnerable are going through unforeseen economic hardship because of the nationwide lockdown, he could only but rise up to the occasion and contribute his quota to the amelioration of the people’s woes.

He tasked the Presidents- General of the town unions in the LG and the representatives of the clergy to ensure that this nonpolitical and nondenominational initiative gets to the primary targets of the palliative which are the indigents and the vulnerable.

Responding on behalf of the palliative team, member representing Ekwusigo in the Anambra State House of Assembly, Hon. Onyebuchi Offor thanked His Royal Majesty, Dr. Ebuka Onunkwo for his unique gesture. He enjoined the PGs and members of the clergy to ensure that the palliative items get to the right people, in order not to attract curses to themselves.

Because of the existing government protocol on the Covid – 19 pandemic, which enforces social distancing and discourages crowd gathering, less than fifty people were invited to the event.

In attendance were Chief Ezementus Mbonu, Akunaesiobike of Ihembosi, Aluminum magnate, Chief Leo Udeze, Ochiagha of Ihembosi, the member representing EKWUSIGO in the Anambra State House of Assembly, Hon. Onyebuchi Offor, former Transition Committee Chairman of Ekwusigo LG, Hon. Ikenna Ofodeme, the traditional rulers of Ozubulu, Oraifite, Ichi and the Ajie of Ihembosi, the Presidents- General of the towns in the LG and representatives of the Catholic Church, the Anglican Church and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN).

Speaking on behalf of the traditional rulers, HRH, Igwe Nnamdi Oruche, the Obi of Ozubulu profusely thanked God for using Dr. Ebuka Onunkwo to meet the immediate needs of many people. He said that the gift of ten million Naira worth of food to indigent and vulnerable people at this critical time of economic crisis is a manifestation of the true Igbo spirit and he prayed that God will continue to bless and protect him.

In his own remark the Parish Priest of St. Michael Catholic Church, Amakwa, Ozubulu, Very Rev. Fr. Donald Chidolue said that Dr. Ebuka Onunkwo’s palliative for Ndi EKWUSIGO at this time of hardship is a confirmation of excellent humanity.

Speaking on behalf of the Presidents – General, Engr. Edmund Ugwuezumba, representing the PG of Oraifite, said that all the PGs are very grateful and happy because this palliative is the first of it’s kind in the LG. Engr. Ugwuezumba said they hope that other prominent and wealthy indigenes of the LG would emulate Ebuka Onunkwo’s gesture. He said that nothing stops him from limiting the palliative to only his hometown of Ihembosi but in his magnanimity, he extended it to all the towns in EKWUSIGO. He prayed for God’s guidance and protection for Dr. Onunkwo.

Speaking earlier, a media analyst and public affairs commentator, Amb. Emeka Odidika said that His Royal Majesty, Dr. Ebuka Onunkwo has a fundamental culture of philanthropy and has only by this palliative continued his long tradition of philanthropy.

He recalled that since 2009 till date, Dr. Onunkwo has been paying the school fees, WAEC and NECO fees of all the senior students of Ihembosi Community Secondary School, irrespective of town or state of origin and he gives out prizes to Best Teacher, Best Student in Mathematics, English and overall best student of the school.

Dr. Onunkwo has also instituted prizes for the best graduating student of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu OJUKWU University and the best graduating students of all the departments of Engineering in the institution. He donated a brand new 18 seater bus to the institution’s department of Biochemistry.

Dr. Onunkwo annually empowers a good number of people to either start or support their businesses and according to the representative of Venerable Dr. Awuzie, the priest in charge of St. Matthew Anglican Church, Ozubulu, the ten million Naira palliative to Ndi EKWUSIGO is not an isolated gesture but truly a continuation of an unwavering culture of philanthropy.

Wow!
This is nice. That's my Local Government.