… As FELD Foundation Celebrates 10th Anniversary In Grandstyle
By Christy Aboghe/ Olayitan Alayande
Delta State governor and Vice Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa has harped on the need for brotherliness towards a sustainable society.
Sen. Okowa who was represented by the Deputy Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Ochor Christopher Ochor during the 10 years anniversary of the Foundation in Ogwashi-uku, Delta State.
Commending the effort of the convener of the Foundation, for giving meaning to the lives of every Deltans, he said it was what other well meaning Nigerians should emulate.
The founder and Pioneer of Foundation for Effective Leadership and Development (FELD), Hon. Paul Adingwupu said his growing days experience was what informed his choice of philanthropy, adding that the support by his mother to train him into becoming a great person was also what motivated him to helping people.
Adingwupu said he was optimistic that in the next ten years, the foundation would have become a bigger organization that has a microfinance bank and many other benefits to the people.
He called on every Deltans to extend kind gesture to needy persons around them.
Earlier, the minority leader of the House of Representatives representing Aniocha and Oshimili Federal constituency, Rt. Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, while commending the effort of the Foundation for reaching out to the people in a different way, promised to support the foundation with the sum of 100 million for the welfare of the members.
On his part, the Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) Barr. Godwin Okoh said the foundation has being a blessing to a number of people.
While speaking on the genesis of the Foundation, Okoh, said the founder ensured that the poor were not left behind, by making them wealthy and live a better life.
He said the foundation started with what he tagged as small scale loan and reaching out to traders, market women and students and years after metamorphosed into a big one that political party can use as a medium to reach out to people.
The LOC Chairman said many of the beneficiaries of the foundation used the benefits to improve their trading so as to train their children with it.
According to Okoh, the foundation, In the last decade has been a blessing in the economy and the educational aspect to the people of Delta State, adding that they had given loans and monies for people to grow their businesses and given women food items and wrappers to make them look presentable.
Also, the Foundation has encouraged and helped many scholars by giving them money to fund their academics, scholarship to study and conducted a lot of quiz with awards to the intelligent ones.
Okoh advised the beneficiaries to make good use of the benefits given to them.
While giving a brief history about the foundation, the Project Director of the Foundation, Mr Godfrey Osakwe, said it all started in Lagos, but now dwells in Delta State, adding that the man behind the vision and pioneer of the Foundation had kept the vision alive in the past ten years.
Osakwe said the legacy the founder had laid was one that would last forever and which he would be remembered for.
One of the beneficiary from ward 1a, from Ogwashi-Uku and also a poultry farmer, Mr Andrew Okaka expressed joy and gratitude towards the foundation for counting him worthy to be part of the beneficiaries, he prayed God to continually bless the founder of the Foundation.
Okaka said with the financial support given to him, he would be able to develop his business and get more gains.
Highlight of the ceremony was march past parades and cultural dances by different dancing troopd from the various political wards represented.
