By Brown Chimezie
Eze Ndigbo, Lagos Island and CEO, Mac-Akudiufu Nigeria Ltd, Eze Onyeka Onyenachie Ifekandu, has urged wealthy businessmen and women to donate 0.1 per cent of their yearly incomes to the cause of the indigent and the needy.
And to lead by example, his Ezendigbo Welfare Foundation has touched the lives of the needy, poor and the less privileged. Ifekandu said he was propelled by his “love for the poor and indigent people in the society.
“The foundation has spent multi-millions of naira on scholarships awarded to over 30 brilliant indigent students, who gained admission into their choice federal universities, polytechnics or tertiary institutions of before they accessed the scholarship portal.”
He had initiated a special goods-on-credit initiative to assist poor, average and upcoming traders in their businesses. Besides renting and paying rents for poor traders, Ozonkpu equally supplies them with goods on credit or what is called “return after sales basis” empowerment.
As a bridge builder, Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akinolu, conferred on him the Eze Ndigbo, Lagos Island, even before he was crowned by his Igbo community. The reason he was bestowed with De-tribalised Man of the People.
Ozonkpu said: “For four years running since the inception of my foundation, I have been empowering jobless indigenes in Lagos Island and Anambra State, through my poverty alleviation projects, as well as provision of job opportunities for the less privileged, especially the potentially crime prone street urchins, miscreants and hoodlums, by taking them away from crime and criminality.
“Indeed, I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth. Rather, I was a child of circumstance, born into a poor, humble but God-fearing home of late Pa Alex Chionye and Madam Charity Ifekandu.
“Growing up 47 years ago, circumstances of life made me drop from school, immediately after the death of my father. That sudden twist in life pushed me to abandon school for one year. At 16 years, I worked in a hotel for a year to raise funds for my school certificate examination. My family could not afford the N1000 for the West African Examination Council (WAEC), entrance fee then.
“I was forced by circumstances to move to Aba, Abia State, to start the popular Igbo trade apprenticeship scheme called “Nwa boyi” with my father’s old friend. I did that for five years after my school certificate.
“Despite the hard terrain of doing businesses in Nigeria, I did not abandon my age long dream of acquiring a university education. I combined business with studies through distance learning centres.
“My recent coronation as Eze Ndigbo, Lagos Island, by Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos State and Igbo King Maker, is in recognition of my love for humanity. It is also testament of the impact of my ‘Corporate Work of Mercy Initiative.’”