“One is in the offing for someone that lives in a very terrible house” – Smart
He discloses why he built houses for the poorest in Nnewi…
Honourable Nonso Smart Okafor, the legislator representing Nnewi-North state constituency in the 7th legislature of Anambra state, explains one of the very cogent reasons he builds houses for the poorest of the poor in his community is that shelter is one of the best gifts one can give to the less privileged or someone living in a neglected home.
Okafor, who stated this during an exclusive interview with our correspondent in Awka, explained that the absence of a good shelter affects one’s reasoning and attitude to life.
He said, “One is in the offing for someone that lives in a very terrible house in Uruagu Nnewi and we are already mobilising to see how we can give her a decent apartment where she can reside comfortably.“My passion in giving out shelter is because I believe shelter is one of the best things you can give to someone less privileged or somebody living in a dilapidated home.
“When you don’t have a good shelter over yourself it affects your reasoning, your health, your security and every other thing is affected because you don’t have a decent home that can guarantee your safety and comfort.“So most times my interest in those areas is because if you can put a roof over someone helpless and hopeless, I believe you must have done a whole lot to boost the person’s morale and the morale of people around them.
“As I said before, I am already working on something for someone and in due course, we will complete it and hand it over to the beneficiary like others we did in the past.“We have built for three childless widows in Okpuno Nnewi-Ichi. There is one we rebuilt for one Mrs Igwilo at Umuzombana Otolo Nnewi. We built market toilets at Eke-Amangwu Umudim Nnewi.
The one I am doing currently is at Uruagu Nnewi. We are building a befitting home for someone helpless. As usual, we will build and furnish it to put smiles on the person’s face again.“The beneficiary does not know that anything is in the offing as I speak with you.
The person does not know me from Adam and I don’t even know the family. We did our need assessments. We sent Independent people who analyzed people in dire need of such help in that community and we were able to arrive at our choice.”
Okafor also disclosed that he would use the opportunity provided by the six weeks recess of the state assembly to traverse the nooks and crannies of his constituency to interact with his people and identify more pressing needs.
