By Tony Adibe
A former member who represented Enugu North and South Federal Constituency in the Nigeria House of Representatives on the platform of PDP, Rt. Hon. Prince Ofor Chukwuegb has presented gifts of mini- buses to five persons, including two of his personal drivers.
NewsBits was informed that an event, which was scheduled to be a routine one-year anniversary of Teamofor Keep Fit Club, an arm of his political structure, said to be dedicated to healthy living through regular exercises, turned into a kind of carnival as huge celebrations erupted following announcement of the unexpected package to the low cadre staff and some longstanding associates “in difficult times.”
It was further learnt that the beneficiaries included the family of one of his drivers who was murdered by gunmen in the build-up to the last general elections, which Hon. Chukwuegbo eventually lost to a rumoured green horn. Hon. Chukwuegbo’s chief driver, identified simply as Mr. Umebeh, and another driver, known as Mr. Nnaji, who also drove the lawmaker’s late father in his lifetime – all got rewarded with a minibus each.
The other beneficiaries included a political activist, Chinonso Agbo, a.k.a. Titanic, who was rumoured to have deployed personal resources to campaign for Hon. Chukwuegbo in one of his previous electioneering. However, Chukwuegbo, who lost his bid to return to the House of Representatives in the January 2023 general elections, told the gathering that he does not take genuine loyalty for granted.
The lawmaker further said that he hated to see people suffering around him when he could do something to alleviate their hardship. He explained that all the individuals he rewarded with vehicles meant different things to him, stressing that they had touched his life in different ways at different times, some dating back over 20 years ago.
It was gathered that Chukwuegb’s philanthropic gesture instantly arrested the attention of some dignitaries at the event, who made additional donations of cash to the beneficiaries to help them tide over and maximise the opportunity presented by the bus gifts to become business owners.
It was learnt that the Aviator and owner of Odengene Air Shuttle Services (OAS) Helicopters, Captain Everest Nnaji, made a personal donation of N5million as chief guest of honour. Besides, other dignitaries donated various sums of money, with specific additional financial support for the beneficiaries of Ofor’s bus gifts.
NewsBits reports that Hon. Chukwuegbo has reportedly made a name and reputation as a generous politician. Recall that way back around 2015, he was said to have given out some 22 saloon cars to political associates even after he had lost his bid to return to the House of Representatives, after first tenure.
Hon. Chukwuegbo, however, returned to the Lower Chamber of Nigeria’s National Assembly in 2019. But his attempt to continue in office was aborted by the ‘Peter Obi-Labour Party Movement that swept the Southeast political landscape early this year.
His losing the election, nonetheless, never stopped him from lifting indigent youths and women of his constituency from the valley of poverty and women of his Enugu North and South constituency, out of poverty through empowerment programs, even out of season.
