Chinedu Ogah has devoted his life to uplifting the lives of the downtrodden in the society through his Foundation and Initiatives Platforms, writes Benjamin Nworie
One thing Ebonyi people so greatly miss since the end of the past administration under the leadership of Chief Martin Elechi in Ebonyi State was the impacts and contributions of Ebonyi Youths Assembly (EYA). EYA was a veritable political organisation created by its Founder
and National President, Comrade Chinedu Ogah to facilitate and enhance the policies and programmes of the Elechi’s administration. Ogah’s generosity and magnanimity know no bounds in the upliftment of the welfare of the people.
EYA was a platform that was indeed, an extension of government at the grassroots for the growth and development of the state. The activities of EYA provided succour to the lives of Ebonyi residents. It was a window with which the administration of Elechi was accessed. Since the
emergence and creation of the youths platform, it had remained a life-support systems for the generality of Ebonyians and non-indigenes.
Apart from humanitarian services, EYA was a political incubator for upcoming politicians with the agitation for youth’s inclusiveness in governance. Through the activities of the group, youths participation in governance was unprecedented in the Elechi’s administration. The
impacts and contributions of the Ogah’s group necessitated the likeness and attention of the former governor, who had always seen and described them as the “backbone of his security network”.
Throughout the eight years of Elechi’s administration, Ogah provided supportive roles and assistance to the development and security network of the state. The former governor said he first met Ogah in the heat of his campaign for the governorship of Ebonyi State in January 2007 when Ogah approached him and offered to help in his campaigns.
Elechi said that “from that point Chinedu Ogah accompanied me to all campaigns in all the three senatorial zones of the state. Without my knowledge, he went ahead to open campaign offices in all the zones of the state and followed it up till we won the election. Ogah’s skills in youth mobilisation and leadership as well as his interest in security and intelligence matters helped my administration to have a peaceful and impactful passage and I was not surprised when the federal government spotted him and honoured him with the National Honour of the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).”
This was possible through Ogah’s youths mobilisation and empowerment initiatives where majority of the unemployed youths were engaged in various job opportunities. EYA grew so powerful to the extent of contributing to the governance of the state and oversaw the management of critical sectors. Ogah enjoyed the commendations of the people from all walks of life, especially those he rescued from life threatening conditions, like payment of hospital bills and medical treatments across the country.
One could still recall with great delight how the residence of Ogah used to be a beehive of activities and gathering of youths and stakeholders, who thronged for one favour or the other. It was believed as people intuited that no one visits Ogah’ s house and went back with his or her problems unattended to.
However, with the discordant tunes that shaped the 2015 governorship election in the state, Governor David Umahi, on assumption of office proscribed EYA, citing security implications, perhaps to drive home his annoyance on Ogah’s role in the election.
But the success story of EYA led to the formation of another group loyal to President Muhammadu Buhari, named Buhari and Osinbajo Initiative for Demonstrating Change. Under the auspices of the group, led by Ogah as its national coordinator, the people of the state have witnessed another tremendous relief and assistance from the initiator.
This has become a platform for rallying support for the President in the country. He is also using the platform to help trickle down development and assistance to the rural people.
Further, EYA played complementary role with Chinedu Ogah Foundation.
The mission of the Ogah’s foundation was to provide succour and assistance to the downtrodden in the society. The activities of the foundation added quantum leap to the desire of the founder to touch all the segments of the society.
The foundation has secured over 520 jobs for indigent Ebonyi residents in federal agencies and establishments and trained more than 600 Ebonyi people in various skills and looked after the elderly people in the state. It was unbelievable, the uncommon initiative of the Foundation to build shelter for the foremost oldest man in the state. The Foundation also at various times distributed wrappers, food items, money and other useful items to the people of the state
The beneficiary, Pa Nmbaka Nwanchati, aged 153 was adjudged the oldest man in the state. The life of Pa Nwanchati was unbearable and excruciating. Stakeholders and political bigwigs have abandoned this aged man to his fate. The leaking thatch mud house was a nightmare in the rainy season. Yet, with his old age and impaired vision, Pa Nwanchati has lived in his thatch house in all the seasons for decades and nobody to carter for him, until fantasies of Ogah’s foundation beamed and blessed him with three bedroom bungalows.
Pa Nwanchati hails from Edukwu-Ohatekwe community of Ikwo Local Government Area of the state. Ikwo council area is home for Ebonyi political bigwigs such as senators, commissioners, federal appointees, including Elechi and serving Deputy Governor, Kelechi Igwe. “It is good for leaders to make their impact felt at the rural level. It is good that we relate with the people at the grassroots evel in order to bring dividends of democracy to their door steps. We have done a lot and we will continue by God’s grace,” Ogah said.
The construction of building in the area brought together a mammoth crowd to felicitate with the beneficiary and his family members. The organisation also constructed a culvert for Obeagu-Ohatekwe community to ease their movement to other neighbouring communities and avert incidents of drowning as experienced by members of the community in times past.
Ogah who expressed the determination of his organisation to sustain the tempo in the provision of basic amenities and welfare packages to the less-privileged across the state assured that the gesture would continue for the betterment of all and sundry.
Residents of Amagu community in Ebonyi State have a lot to thank a businessman and philanthropist Chinedu Ogah for. He lifted the spirits of the poor such as widows as well as needy youths by giving them foodstuff and such other items as fertilisers, salt, even cash.
The Foundation is committed to making life better for the less-privileged.
Through this foundation, a day of expectation and reckoning enveloped the minds of the residents of Item Amagu in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi. For many decades, the people of Item had no access to primary healthcare.
Any outbreak of disease had always taken death toll to the apex. But worried by the non-availability of a functional health centre close to the people of Item Amagu in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi , the Chinedu Ogah Foundation has built and donated a one story building worth over N30m to the Healthcare Centre located in the community to
help alleviate the plight of the people in accessing quality health care.
But the neglected people of Item will ever remain indebted to the intervention of the Ogah’s foundation for building a brand new health centre equipped with state-of-the-art equipment to run health services in the area.
Dedicating this edifice to President Buhari, Ogah said it was a token to complement the efforts of the President in providing efficient health services to all Nigerians. “This change is all about good health to the people, it is all about uplifting the standard of leaving of the people in all its ramifications and we deem it fit to name this edifice after Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu in recognition of his years of service to the people of the state and Nigeria in general.
“Buhari is a man of reputable character; he is a man with vision. That is why we erected this building. Every leadership irrespective of party we pray for them. We are very happy with what APC government is doing; we are appealing to Nigerians to be patient with Buhari. He is trying to take his time so as not to make mistakes. If you do things in a hurry you may not achieve success but if you have strategic planning, you will achieve success. And that is what I believe he is doing. In a short period of time, he will start unveiling his programmes for Nigeria.”
A member of the community and pioneer Vice Chancellor of Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Professor Fidelis Ogah, thanked God for using the NGO to construct the culvert and build a house for the oldest man in the state.
Ogah, a philanthropist, distributed wrappers and cash to over 1000 women who graced the occasion at the community’s playground.
