Twenty days later, memories of the event that happened on January 3, 2025, in the Obibi community continue to ring loud, signposting that it resonated well with the people of that sprawling community.
The event was the generous donation of about 350 bags of rice to widows, widowers and the vulnerable in the Obibi community by the President of Ezekwesiri Foundation, Chief Ekene Onwuka, who is of the royal lineage of that community. Chief Ekene, who is a lawyer cum businessman as well as a famous title holder in the Obibi community, is a man of egalitarian spirit with empathy who believes in the philosophy that there is love in sharing. And so, despite the prevailing harsh economic conditions, Chief Anthony Onwuka still considered it a moral duty to share with his people by donating bags of rice to them, especially those who could ill afford it at such seasons as Christmas and New Year.
On how Chief Onwuka identified the beneficiaries and how he ascertained their statuses to fit the concept of vulnerability, he said that he comes from the community and that besides living outside the country for many years, he is up to speed with ongoings in the community. However, according to him, in this particular case, he had engaged the leaders of the community to identify the beneficiaries. On the sincerity of the selection, Chief Onwuka said that there was transparency because he used people of integrity who also have the fear of God.
The broad participation of the people of the Obibi community conferred credibility on the exercise and validated Chief Onwuka’s claim of diligent selection. In attendance were the president-general, the Obibi community, women leaders, the village head and the king of the autonomous community.
To underscore the genuineness and sincerity of the exercise, those who were unable to be at the venue, where the rice was being personally handed over to beneficiaries by Chief Anthony Onwuka himself, owing to impaired vision, age or any other health factors that could have hindered their turning up at the venue were captured and the items sent to them. Unlike the federal government social register, whose credibility is consistently questioned, the Ezekwesiri Foundation captured the real vulnerable and extended its token gesture to them. What does such action underscore? It means that the purpose behind the gesture is genuine compassion, not the politically motivated gallery show that politicians do to befuddle the people and buy their loyalty.
Leaders of the community who spoke with this writer lauded Chief Onwuka for always remembering the community. They recalled the sundry things Ezekwesiri Foundation has so far undertaken in the community, including a scholarship scheme, medical outreach and medical interventions, adding that the gestures have brought a myriad of succour to the people of the community. They urged others who have the means to always remember the people by undertaking the kind of social investments that Chief Onwuka has deployed to bring succour to the people.
In a world that is daily shrinking in humanity, looking out for others and giving a helping hand without an expectation of recompense is an action that brings fulfilment. It is also an action that ramps up both our humanity and value system; ideals that once bound societies together in love. That was when people were their brothers, keepers, and brothers brothers. Today our society is replete with mean, insentive and unconscionable people who do not care about the next person. They easily forget that as humans, we are bound together in the same garment of destiny. They use their vantage position to subjugate, oppress and persecute others. They make the poor pawns and go to them only when they need them.
Ezekwesiri Foundation, through its chief executive, Chief Anthony Onwuka, appears bent on curbing this trend and arresting this retreating humanity in the Obibi community. He is doing this through the power of love soused in compassion and generosity. Onwuka is not giving to get votes, he is giving to show love. One of the strongest points of Godliness is love. But are people still capable of showing love? When one gives with expectation, it is a transaction. But when one gives without expecting recompense, he demonstrates love. Chief Anthony Onwuka demonstrated love in the Obibi community on January 3, 2025. Can others take a cue by reaching out to those in need? That is the only to humanize humanity and Onwuka has set the tone for 2025.