Okorocha's wife appreciated for touching lives

 Isiguzo giving Okorocha's wife award
www.odogwublog.com reports that unknown to the Imo State first lady,Mrs Nkechi Okorocha that her numerous assistance to the less privileged in the state would earn her the award of the most outstanding Governor's wife award bestowed on her by the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Imo State Council for her unprecedented and outstanding achievements in assisting indigent widows and other vulnerable people in the state.
Mrs Okorocha through her pet project, She Needs A Roof Project (SNARP) provided shelter for widows and orphans in the state. She constructed over 134 two bedroom bungalows for the less privileged ones across the 27 Local Government Areas of the State.
Her criteria for the beneficiaries is using her team to go into the nook and crannies of the state to identify the most vulnerable widows and orphans in the state ,she pulls down their ramshackle abode and in place erect a befitting bungalow,tastefully furnished to the amazement of the owners and their members of family.

Speaking during the presentation of the Award at the New Concorde Hotel Owerri, the Chairman of the Chapel, Mr. Athan Agbakwuru, said that the Award was in recognition of the diligent efforts of the wife of the Governor in alleviating the plight of the indigent widows and other vulnerable people in the State.
He explained that the Award was an appreciation of the uncommon feat recorded by the wife of the Governor and to spur her to do more for the indigent people in the state.
According to Agbakwuru, the recipient, through the SNARP project, has been able to save the lives of hundreds of widows who were hitherto living in “despicable squalors” without any hope of succour.
He noted further that the Award is not among the politically motivated ones but a genuine symbol of appreciation by a section of the society that is known to criticize almost all the projects and programmes of government.
Agbakwuru further said  “the success story of the Rochas Okorocha administration cannot be complete without mentioning  the gross input of the SNARP initiative. This great and noble woman has built over 174 two-bedroom bungalows for indigent widows and orphans across the 27 Council Areas of the state. Besides that, she has also established three Skill Acquisition Centres in the three Senatorial Zones of the State.
“As ever vigilant watchdog of the society we are, the Chapel after meticulous consideration, tipped her for this rare honour and recognition. She has surpassed her predecessors and contemporaries alike in all ramifications. Above all, the SNARP and the Skill Acquisition Programmes have been found to have no partisan coloration as beneficiaries are drawn from among those who are genuinely in need of succour, irrespective of political and religious affiliations”.
Also speaking at the event, the National Vice President of NUJ (Southeast), Deacon Chris Isiguzo, who presented the Award,  said that the Award met the set standard of the Union, especially after considering the impact of the SNARP project.
He pointed out that it is the responsibility of the NUJ to ensure that public office holders are accountable to the people, adding that what the recipient is doing should be emulated by other wives of Governors across the country.
Isiguzo who was accompanied by the NUJ Secretary Zone C (Southeast), Comrade Kenneth Oforma and the Chairman of the Enugu State Council of the NUJ, Comrade Rex Chinweuba, commended the Governor’s wife for her vision and commitment in making life meaningful for the indigent widows and other downtrodden.
According to him, “when we received the letter that the Correspondents’ Chapel of the NUJ, Imo State wants to give Award to the Governor’s wife due to her achievements, we conducted our own investigations before confirming the letter. Without mincing words, the national leadership of the NUJ and the Imo State Council of NUJ endorsed this Award and are behind the Correspondents’ Chapel in this well deserved honour on the First Lady of Imo State”.
The zone C vice chairman of NUJ however recommended Mrs Okorocha for International awards ,while also calling on NGOs in the country to emulate the Imo first lady.
Also, the President of Igbo Media Professionals, Apostle Victor Sorokwu, said that the achievements of the Imo Governor’s wife, is a further testimony of the Igbo spirit.
He noted that unlike the pet projects of other Governors’ wives, which he said are often a conduit pipes for siphoning state resources " the SNARP has made housing available for a section of the society that has been abandoned, adding that the project should be adopted by the Federal and State Governments"
Also in his comments, the member representing Onuimo Local Government Area in the State House of Assembly, Hon Chinedu Offor, commended the recipient for her genuine love and compassion for the needy.
Offor, a correspondent of the Voice of America (VOA) before he joined politics in 2011, added that, “throughout the 15 years i worked for VOA, I covered the activities of Presidents, Governors and top public office holders, none has given succour to the needy like Okorocha’s wife”.
He argued that the achievements of the Governor’s wife, which according to him, “eliminates the obnoxious widowhood practices is worth rewarding with a Nobel Peace Prize”.
Responding, the wife of the Governor, said that the Award coming from a non partisan but a critical group of people like journalists will certainly motivate her to continue to contribute to making life better for the less privileged.
She commended the Chapel for their commitment to the activities for the SNARP, adding that the cooperation of the journalists has brought the need awareness that has watered the success of the project.
According to her, “this is one of the Awards that have touched my heart specially. This is so because it is coming from a section of people that has been with me all through the journey of SNARP. So there assessment cannot be said to be political or induced. Every time I have piles of letter requesting to confer me with one Award or the other but I have always declined because most of those Awards are actually for sale”.
She continued that, “I did not know much about the Award until the delegation from the Correspondents’ visited my office to give me details about the motive behind the Award. They insisted that the Award is apolitical, just like the process of selecting the SNARP beneficiaries and I sincerely cherish this Award”.
From Stanley Uzoaru,Owerri

Okorocha's wife appreciated for touching lives Okorocha's wife appreciated for touching lives Reviewed by Unknown on Friday, February 03, 2017 Rating: 5

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