* I was led by God to give him the money, she says
*The donation’ll give Labour Party candidate good luck
Labour Party’s presidential candidate in next year’s general elections, Peter Obi, received an unusual gift on July 12, when he appeared on a live breakfast programme of Urban Radio, an FM station in Enugu, Enugu State.
The programme had barely taken off when a horde of Enugu residents trooped to the Independence Layout premises of the station.
Among them was an 18-year-old lady, Okwuchukwu Covenant Onyebuchi, who lives within the neighbourhood.
The young lady took the opportunity of Obi’s visit to the FM station to present her life savings to the LP Presidential candidate.
Okwuchukwu who hails from Aguobu-Owa in Ezeagu Local Government Area of the state, before handing over the envelope to Obi, said she had also prayed for his success and victory in the forthcoming election.
According to her, what she did amounted to blessing the politician whom she described as a good man on a divine mission to rescue Nigeria.
She said: “God has answered my prayer because I am about to bless a humble man even though I have no name.”
Obi who was in company of former National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Labour Party candidate for Anambra Central Senatorial District, Chief Victor Umeh, was deeply touched by the girl’s show of love, that he gave her a hug and promised to give her a call later.
In less than 24 hours after the young girl who claimed she had no name made the donation to Obi, she became an instant celebrity and was highly sought after by people, including the media, seeking to know more about her.
Saturday Sun traced Okwuchukwu to her family house at Ukwa Street, Independence Layout and spoke with the young lady, her parents and a kinsman.
Explaining how the whole thing happened, she said: “I was in the kitchen preparing breakfast when I heard that he was in our street. I left what I was doing and told my father that I was going to see Mr Peter Obi. Then, I took the money and left. So, I told my father but my mother was not around.
“I was saving the money in my school bag. I don’t know the amount, like I said I would gather and put it there. So, that day, I gathered the money, put them in the envelope and rushed out.”
The former Assistant Head Girl at Regina Pacis College Abuja, said God had directed her to give her savings to any good man that will put it to judicious use in building the nation.
“I gave Mr Peter Obi my savings because I wanted to support him the best way I could. It’s all I had and if I had more, I would have given him. Mr Peter Obi is a man of integrity even though he was not the person in my mind to give the money. I give because I know the importance and principles behind giving. So, when I learnt he was in my neighbourhood, I was led, I was touched that God has brought the man to me. So I took the opportunity to do what I was led to do,” Okwuchukwu said.
She expressed displeasure over the state of affairs in the country, particularly as it concerns the on-going strike of university workers, mass unemployment, corruption and growing poverty in the land.
The girl lamented that she got admission to study Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), but had not resumed because of the long strike that has grounded public universities in Nigeria for over five months.
Though her father, Dennis Onyebuchi, belongs to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), it was gathered that the family always prayed for Obi’s success every morning since he indicated an interest to be President of Nigeria.:
Okwuchukwu said: “In my opinion, I know Peter Obi can provide a change in this bad governance because he has said all he is going to do. He has stated how he is going to do them. And there is no doubt that he is going to do them because there is evidence of what he has done back in the days when he was a governor.
“I know to the best of my knowledge that if there is anybody who can fix this country, that person is Mr Peter Obi. He is more than able to change all the bad situations in this country.”
She noted that Obi is young, energetic and disciplined, and wondered why those she referred to as “our grandfathers” would be contesting for presidency whilst there were more vibrant young people out there.
On her agenda for the Labour Party flag bearer, if he emerged victorious at the polls, she said: “I want Nigeria youths to be able to have job opportunities in this country. Jobs for every graduate because that is how it is supposed to be and for everyone that wants to be in the university to be able to enter the university as planned because that should be the case. Everything that Mr Peter Obi has promised the youths, he should try to me whether she believed that the LP presidential candidate would still call her as he promised, Okwuchukwu answered in the affirmative but stated that as a busy person, he would do it at his time.
“He is a busy person, and for me, I know he is somebody that would keep his promise. He has said he would call, and definitely, he will.”
However, Okwuchukwu confessed that she did not envisage the huge publicity her modest gift to Obi had attracted, but said she was ready to take the limelight.
“I am not prepared for this attention but I know that the grace of God will cover me because I started with God and I would finish with Him. He was the one that led me to do this and he would not leave me until He has finished what He has started. So, I am prepared with Him because I know He is always very prepared,” she stated.
For her, it would be a dream come true, if Obi wins the next presidential election and is sworn-in as President in Abuja on May 29 next year. She said by then, she would have in her mind that Nigeria’s future was back again. “The giant of Africa is back. I would feel very satisfied to know that it’s going to happen.”
Though proud of her daughter, Okwuchukwu’s mother, Mrs Amaka Onyebuchi told Saturday Sun that she might have discouraged her if she was around when Obi visited their vicinity, because she is not the attention-seeking type.
The woman said members of her family have practically become ‘Obedients’ not minding that her spouse belonged to the PDP. She said she didn’t feel bad over the daughter’s action because “I love giving and I am sure she learnt it from me.
“My family prays for Obi every day. We pray for a better Nigeria, asking God to fulfil this if He has chosen Obi to do this for Nigeria”.
Like her daughter, Mrs Onyebuchi said that her joy would be boundless if Obi emerged Nigeria’s President next year, adding that the family would feel fulfilled if invited to witness Obi’s inauguration.
“I will be very happy; I will give God thanks, I will praise the Almighty Jehovah, I know that it can only be Him who would have brought mighty deliverance unto Nigeria because I am sure that Nigeria’s future depends on this election,” Mrs Onyebuchi stated.
Her husband, Dennis Onyebuchi, an architect told Saturday Sun that her daughter had actually made the family proud. Though she hinted him that she was going to the neighbourhood to see Obi, he did not have the slightest inkling that she was going to gift the LP candidate.
He revealed that he was yet to take a decision on who to vote for in the presidential election, but indicated that the pressure in his house at the moment was such that he might join the popular side.
The former Enugu State Coordinator of the defunct National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) bemoaned the declining standard of living in the country as well as the spate of insecurity, saying it was time for an urgent positive change.
In the same manner, Jack Jideofor, a civil engineer and kinsman of the Onyebuchis, who witnessed the incident also extolled the boldness and spirit of giving displayed by the young lady.
“I was very happy with the action she took. I was the one that told Okwuchukwu that Obi was around and that I was going to take a photograph with him. I didn’t know that she went and took money when she rushed into the room and came out. It was actually when I finished taking picturea with Obi that I saw her struggling to reach him with an envelope. The security people wanted to stop her but Obi asked that they allow her,” he narrated.
He also prayed that the former Anambra State governor would emerge victorious in the elections, while looking forward to witnessing the inauguration and possibly be guest in Aso Rock Villa, one day. (COURTESY: Saturday Sun)
