BY SUNNY A. DAVID, AWKA
In a remarkable act of kindness, an Anambra-based journalist, Dr. Innocent Okonkwo has built a bungalow for a childless widow, providing her with a safe and comfortable living space.
This selfless gesture has brought joy and hope to the woman’s life.
Dr. Okonkwo appealed to the well-meaning Nigerians to lend their helping hands to the poor in the society.
In a society where the rich are known for oppression of the poor.
An Anambra-born journalist has decided to toe a different line and built a four bedroom bungalow for a childless widow.
Dr. Okonknwo who also hails from Aguleri community in Anambra.
The Founder/Publisher of Ogene Media Team, (OMT), an online media outfit displayed this philanthropic gesture when he saw that the childless aged woman has lost roof over her head.
Explaining how he summoned courage to embark on such capital intensive venture at this critical moment of economy, Dr. Okonkwo stated that “when I estimated the cost of small room and parlour self contained, it was over N2 million to finish it.
“I decided to use the money to raise 4 rooms and parlour and roof just a portion for her to stay for a while. After raising the building. I was lucky to sell a property that had been in the market for years, so I used part of the proceeds to roof the whole house instead of the early arrangement to just roof a portion for her.
“The new 4 bedroom apartment
Again, after roofing, I decided to just plaster one room for her but in the process, another money came in and I decided to plaster the whole building. My brother, that was how I continued till the house was painted last week. I have demolished the dilapidated house and she happily packed in,” he said.
Asked what gave him the motivation to build a house for the woman who he barely knows, Okonkwo narrated that “some months ago she told me how she pleaded with her neighbor to accommodate her during rainy season but the neighbor refused on the ground that she was expecting Abakiliki labourers to live there during farming season. I asked myself how can a sane human refuse giving a fellow like this childless widow such a help for such flimsy reason? That was what gave me the motivation to erect this apartment for her. I hate seeing people suffering when I can render help to them.”
On how long the woman has lived in such dilapidated building, he stated that “she had lived there for over 20 years, although it was not that bad earlier but it kept depreciating every year, ” he noted.
Asked how much he spent on building the house, Okonkwo said that it gulped up to N12m though he didn’t put all the expenses he incurred in black and white. He also explained that it took him about one and half years to erect the apartment.
Narrating her ordeal before the apartment was erected for her, Mrs. Manafa explained that “before now, every season was a terrible season for me. Some times, I lost my food, clothes and other valuables to rainfalls which usually drenched my rooms.
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