By Adoga Michael Oyi
My readers may disagree with me on the title of this highly opinionated piece for myriad reasons. It's not a fallacy of hasty generalisation as you may tend to make your conclusion after a thorough perusal, hasty glancing and perhaps, assimilation.
I've been quite privileged to mingled with the mighty, weak and... I've interacted with the good, bad and ugly of the society. I've interviewed the destitute, street urchins and scholars. I've worked / served clergymen, businessmen and politicians. I've by His infinite grace traversed the nooks and crannies of our dear state, Cross River. I've seen the folly and wisdom of these humans. I know their social tensile strain and stress. I know their humanitarian mechanical advantage. I've known the rich. They're certainly wonderful. So many of them want everything for themselves and families.
Most of them are greedy of filthy lucre. They've the characteristics and similitude of vulture. Some of them are scavengers. Their generosity is felt during elections or when they want to use someone. They love their bellies and pockets. The pleas of the needy are noisy in their ears. They abhor and dislike giving to the society in which they'd plundered to enmase wealth. Ill-gotten penny.
I remember vividly some couple of years, I was working on a proposed book. I'd finished everything. My publisher asked me to pay N350,000 for 1,000 copies of the book as printing cost. I certainly didn't have such amount. I approached more than five political office holders in Governor Liyel led-government. I was told to put it in writing. Of course I did. My letters were thrown into the waste bin.
One Cross Riverian I wrote to then, is now an appointee of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He directed me to send my request to his e-mail. I did. He said I should give him time. I did. After many months, I called him when I observed that he wasn't responding. He still asked me to repeat the same procedure. In a nutshell, he didn't help me. That's bygone anyway!
I tell you the truth, most rich people in CRS are doing all they could to make sure only their immediate family members become something. They've their candles burning but wouldn't like anyone else to lit his from theirs. Nonetheless, I'm not saying they should throw up and down anyhow o!
In Imo State, virtually every rich person ranging from businessmen to politicians and career civil servants are philanthropists. They've FOUNDATIONS where helps are given to those in need of them. Health foundation. Education foundation. They give scholarship and grants to indigent students. They sponsor medical outreach. They champion community services. They sink borehole, renovate dilapidated schools, equip libraries and laboratories, construct culverts, bridges, rural electrification, building places of worship and dissemination of information. They organise seminars for the youths. They build homes for the aged; orphanages for the less privileged (orphans); remand centre for the psychologically divergent and other social or community services.
In that state, foundations such as Rochas foundation; Araraume foundation, Emeka Ihedioha foundation, Nwaturuocha foundation, Uche Nwosu foundation and the host of others are putting smiles on the faces of people. They're giving life and hope to the downtrodden. They're certainly strengthening the staggering morale of the hopeless.
About 60 percent of the State House of Assembly members have foundations in Imo state. I've seen and interacted with some of the beneficiaries. God bless them.
The opposite is what one observes in Cross River State. There are no FOUNDATIONS. Very few NGOs being managed and owned by foreigners.
The only known foundation doing good jobs in the state is IKABA FOUNDATION the brain child of Mr. Jude Ngaji. The activities of the foundation are felt in parts of the State. The foundation is gaining international recognition. They've just renovated a place of worship. Tuition fee of medical and law students have been paid by this foundation. Final year project expensive of some students have been taken care of. Many free medical assistance have carried out in the countryside of our rural communities. Sensitization of the public on healthy information is one of their activities.
Of recent, the Chief of staff, Mr. Martin Orim equally launched his foundation too. He has followed the pace set by Mr. Jude Ngaji. Other illustrious sons and daughters of our great state can do the same.
I do not make case for myself by urging the rich to help, but I'm only appealing to the rich to learn to do good by helping to reduce sufferings, sorrows, poverty and hunger from the society as others are doing in other land and climes.
We certainly need more of Ikaba foundation and Orim foundation. We need more Judes. The Jude that's less selfish. The Jude that's conscious of the dignity of human personality. The Jude that's considering the feelings of others. The Jude that's trying to bear the burdens of others. When we have such Judes, we're sure the world will have less troubles and pains.
God bless those that are contributing to help heal the world.
Comr. Ogar, Emmanuel Oko
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