Okpotuche Club Lagos builds new home for orphans in Otukpo

By Agbenu James and Chris Johnson

The essence of life according to Aristotle, is “to serve others and to do good.” This is the working philosophy of the Okpotuche Club, an elite Lagos-based Idoma non-religious, apolitical organization whose relentless effort at giving back to their natal land, though done without fanfare or razzmatazz, reverberates with loud decibels.

Even though they are not blowing their own trumpets, their good and noble works clearly speak for themselves.

The club at the annual Ochetoha K’Idoma (the umbrella body and socio-cultural union of the Idoma) National Conference and 6th Agaba’idu Ogiri Okoh Memorial Lecture, unveiled a brand new building which it donated to Children of Mary Orphanage Home, Otukpo.
Also on that day, April 24, 2021, certificates were presented to the first set of graduates of the Okpotuche Club’s Idoma Youth Entrepreneurship Development Programme.

Okpotuche Club Lagos, started in 1986 by a few visionary Idoma natives as a social club and subsequently registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission under the Companies and Allied Matters Act of 1990 (RC 7553), is an association of like-minded men and women of Idoma extraction currently or previously resident in Lagos who subscribe to the objective “to promote the social, cultural, political, and economic development of the Idoma nation” among others.

Driven by these noble ideals, the club identifies potentially impactful projects worthy of execution which are subsequently financed by members through the payment of annual development levies and personal donations.
The current Chairman of the club, Mr. Godwin Ejembi Odah, at the unveiling of the building, said: “The Orphanage Home project was conceived in 2008 as a developmental project under the Club Chairman, Jimmy Igbongi. Construction started in 2012 when Mr Ignatius Ayegba was chairman and was subsequently inherited by Mr Sunny Abah in 2015 when he took over the Chairmanship.

“Much of the project execution took place during this intervening period despite the attendant challenges that tend to define such projects. I had the responsibility of only bringing the project to a conclusion which was the least challenging part.”

Continuing, he said: “I must therefore acknowledge the efforts of these my immediate predecessors as well as the members of the Project Committees that worked with them to implement their directives. On my part, I wish to acknowledge with thanks, the determined and razor focus mindset that the Jimmy Igbongi-led Project Committee brought to bear that finally saw the project across the finish line.”

Odah further acknowledged the commitment of the members of the Club for their dutiful payment of development levies even in the face of strenuous financial difficulties that made the project a reality.

He was especially thankful to members who made voluntary contributions towards this project beyond their obligations.

Noting that the Orphanage Home eventually needs much more than a building, and would be requiring additional support ranging from food to clothing to educational materials and cash donations, he urged members as individuals or in groups to continue to offer support that will ensure that the good work is sustained.

With respect to the Idoma Youth Entrepreneurship Development Programme, Odah explained thus: “This programme was conceived in response to the observable reality of a limited entrepreneurial culture in the homeland. This has implications such as a low level of wealth creation in general and a teeming population of idle and vulnerable youths in particular.”

Consequently, Okpotuche Club, he averred, decidedly joined in the effort to create an economic empowerment initiative through the instrumentality of a youth entrepreneurship skills development and placement programme.

The club’s Youth Entrepreneurship Development Programme (YEDP) is divided into three sections.
The first segment, largely a sensitisation phase, entails the teaching of business conceptual frameworks in a classroom setting for three days, which took place in April 2019 (18-20) featuring 88 youths from different parts of Idomaland. Participants learnt the basic concepts of business including the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, mechanics of starting and operating a business, financial management, the writing of feasibility reports and funding proposals, and also marketing and selling skills.

The second phase of the YEDP is the placement of participants in their business of interest as apprentices in an industry setting that will afford them, as trainees, the opportunity for hands-on experience.

A total of 32 interested participants were subsequently sponsored through this segment covering diverse vocations including agriculture, tailoring, shoemaking, fashion design, catering, photography and cinematography, ICT (digital marketing), block moulding, electronics and DSTV Installation, among others.

Participants who were awarded their certification at the occasion had gone through both phases even as they prepare for project financing, the third phase which Project Financing, is essentially focused on sourcing funds, from individual or group sponsorship.

Odah explained in toto: “In order to apply the training they have had, and then become financially independent, these young men and women need to set up their shops and engage in business. This requires funding. That is the point at which we are with the project. To carry it to a logical conclusion, sponsorship assistance will be needed from those of goodwill and resources to positively intervene.

“In addition, there will be a need for mentoring by those among us who have relevant experience and capacity. For this purpose, a structured mentoring programme will be designed and volunteer mentors will be sought out.”

Odah, the club chairman who averred that the project cost not less than N16 million “because it took over a long period of time,” gave some insight: “Ideally if we are on ground here, this shouldn’t take more than two years, but when you are in a place as far as Lagos and you are trying to execute a Project through other people, it’s understandable that there will be deviations from your values. But thank goodness, we have come to the completion.”

In concluding his remark, he reminded the audience of the main purpose of the event which was “to draw attention to the developmental challenges that we are confronted with and the imperative for all of us, either as individuals or as social clubs to step in and contribute our quota.”

Other members of the club also offered a broad perspective about the day’s activities.
Barrister Amali Amali, the immediate past President of Ochetoha K’Idoma recalled: “I was in the UK and I found other Idoma living in the UK. My club was considering doing a few projects and I chipped in the idea that we could do something for the orphanage, which at the time was in a dilapidated condition, and they accepted. So I have a special attachment to this project and I am happy to be here today.”

He further avowed: “We want to touch the life of the less privileged and contribute whatever we can to the advancement of our society.”

Igbongidi Jimmy, a member of the Okpotuche club also contributed his view.

“This project started during my tenure as chairman of the Building Committee. What we are seeing here now was built out of the little money we contributed as members of Okpotuche Club. We did not raise any fund from anywhere,” he said.

Speaking further, he added: “Aside from orphanages, there are other essential ways we’ve rendered assistance to the less-privileged. We have the school of deaf and dumb. During my reign as the chairman of Okpotuche Club in 2018, we did so many other projects. This one is capital intensive. But because we are going to touch the lives of children, we were not bothered despite the COVID-19 pandemic-fuelled inflation that drove the cost of materials up. We made sure we completed this project, and we thank God where we are today. This project started with prayer and is ending with prayer.”

Omudu Innocent Inalegwu, a financial banking expert and a member of the club, said of the event: “We are glad that the project is commissioning today because as you can see it is not only providing accommodation for the orphans and the vulnerable. There’s a crèche inside for the toddlers, there’s equally a nursery section which is under the project. There’s a dormitory, kitchen, lounge-like living room and all ensuite with sanitary facilities.”

He added: “Our message to other Idoma sons and daughters out there is that the Okpotuche Club cannot carry the burdens of developing the Idoma community alone; so we are calling on all the clubs, social committees, individual sons and daughters home and abroad to intervene in various areas by undertaking projects that will impact for good and on the livelihood of Idoma.”

He further averred: “Within the sphere of the Idoma nation (Zone C), Okpotuche will remain apolitical. We are not practising politics and we are not taking a side in politics within the Idoma community.

Inalegwu’s sentiment was also echoed by Sunday Aba, former chairman of the club, who avowed thus: “We are part of the Benue Rebirth Movement, BRM. Idoma deserves a chance to be Governor of Benue state as well.”

On his part, the Och’Idoma HRM Elias Obekpa, described the project as awe-inspiring and impressive.

The Och’Idoma, who was represented by Chief Baba Odangla, a first Class Chief of Apa/Agatu, thanked Okpotuche Club Lagos for putting a befitting roof over the heads of the orphans.

The monarch, who was moved to tears said, “I lack words to describe the magnitude of this project. This shows that we really care for ourselves.”

He called on other Idoma natives out there to emulate Okpotuche Club by reaching out to the less-privileged, especially the orphans.
Youth beneficiaries speak
Abutu Christian, one of the beneficiaries of the Okpotuche Club’s Idoma Youth Entrepreneurship Development Programme, travelled all the way from Otukpo, Benue State to Lagos State to learn photography and cinematography at PEFTI Film Institute, the international film institute by Wale Adenuga, the owner of WAP TV.
“We did a lot of practicals at WAP TV and GALAXY TV.

Canon cameras also sent resource persons from South Africa to train us on how to use the camera,” Abutu recounted.

He continued: “Since that 2019, I then bought my camera at over N100, 000 and went into commercial photography.”

Another beneficiary of he empowerment programme, Patience Aboje Onyeche, thanked Okpotuche for giving her a source of livelihood through poultry.

“I feel very good, though I’ve been searching for a job. How I got this was a thing of joy for me. I was in an hotel looking for a job, but luckily, I saw a flyer that Okpotuche Club was having an empowerment programme.

So, I grabbed the opportunity, I left the office where I was looking for the job luckily for me, I was selected. I applied for the poultry and fish farming category and I was shortlisted among the people to be trained. I grabbed the opportunity and I am very happy that I made that decision. From what I learnt, I’m putting it into practice. Presently, I’m into poultry and I’m earning from it.

“I want to state it that no form of knowledge in this world is a waste and any opportunity that comes, we should grab it. At least, if it does not pay today it will pay one day. I’m not depending on anybody for now.

“At the moment, I am making a living from it. Okpotuche Club has ended my years of joblessness and I am eternally grateful for what they have done.”

Other beneficiaries who spoke with IDOMA VOICE, thanked the club for taking them out of the street.

A club for all Idoma
Okpotuche Club Lagos has existed for over three decades but was formally registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission on October 4, 1993, under the Companies & Allied Matters Act of 1990, (RC 7553) with Messrs Emma Usman, Hycinth Fab Agbo and Emma Ogwuche as registered trustees.

Okpotuche is an affiliate member club of Ochetoha K’Idoma (Formerly Idoma National Forum, INF) and relates with other clubs and associations with similar aims and objectives.

Aside from sponsoring the 4th Annual Agaba-Idu Ogiri Oko Memorial Lecture, which brought together eminent Idoma sons and daughters of Otukpo from across the globe to the discourse on the future of the Idoma nation, Okpotuche Club has been actively involved in activities of Ochetoha K’Idoma, the umbrella body and social-cultural union of the Idoma.