A non- governmental charity organization, the Chief Michael Odo-Abonyi Ichakporoko Foundation has begun the process of reviving school sports in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu state with special interest in the development of youth football.
The decision was arrived at after the inauguration of the foundation’s special project committee at the foundation’s office in Obollo Afor on Thursday 3, September, 2020.
A trustee of the foundation and the Parish priest of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Ogurute, Igbo Eze North local Government Area, Rev Father Frederick Agu, in a brief remark before inaugurating the committee said “Today is a great day in the history of our Foundation. On this day, it has pleased God to select from the crème of our society, men and women of proven credentials among whom are found a professor, a medical doctor, a learned gentleman, and educationists, etc., to perform a delicate function of shaping the history and destinies of indigent but intelligent children in our society. This was the major dream of our father Late Michael Odo Abonyi who lived out his philosophy of offering his earnings up in order to train the children of the poorest of the poor.
“I shall not hesitate to inform you that as sacred as this duty is, it is nevertheless a work of charity. There is no material remuneration attached to it. As people of God, we believe that his grace is sufficient for us. We are entrusted with the duty of organizing and designing a road map for training, educating and giving of support to our needy children in our schools. At this level of our assignment, our focus shall be on three key sectors of training where immediate impact is needed: football competition, essay writing and debate.
“It is expected that this committee shall brainstorm and decide which of these three areas of engagement will arouse the immediate interest of kids as well as make the Foundation a household name. Finally, we are expected to use our connections to attract statesmen, philanthropists, men and women of good will to support the Foundation through donation, grants, scholarships, etc., to enable the Foundation rise up to ever expanding educational needs of the ordinary people of the society.”
The Chairman of the Special Project planning committee who is also the Head, High Energy Astrophysics Research Group of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Prof Romanus Eze in a keynote address told the 12 member body that they were set up for the purpose of deciding, planning, and executing the competition that will be undertaken by various schools in the area.
Prof Eze noted that the trustees of the foundation have proposed three different competitions which include but not restricted to football, Essay Competition, and or Quiz Competition. The committee after deciphering the three items in the proposal settled for football completion as a take-off.
Prof Eze charged the members to see it as a privilege to serve the people under the platform of the foundation. “Please note that you were selected for this job because the organizers are aware that you can do it very efficiently.” Also speaking at the occasion former Chairman of Udenu local Government Area, and one of the sons of Chief Michael Odo-Abonyi in whose honour the foundation was set up, Dr Godwin Abonyi who represented the family at the ceremony thanked members of the committees for agreeing to serve.
Dr. Abonyi stated that the family decided to set up the foundation to honour their late father who lived serving the people through charity in the little resources available to him.
He told the committee that the family will appreciate their commitment to make the dream of the trustees and the family come through.
Earlier in a welcome address, the Program Director of the Foundation, a retired School Principal Mr. Titus Omenma had reiterated the objectives of the foundation as a non- government, non-profit body and a platform to provide ladder to project the less privilege in our society to harness and project their potentials.
“To the committee members, it’s service to humanity and to attract people of good will to support the programs of the foundation aimed principally at lifting the less privilege.
The 12-member Committee drawn from strategic sectors including the Primary and Secondary, media, local Government Area council as well as the friends of the family includes, Prof Romanus Eze, Chairman, Bar Paschal Ugwuanyi, Secretary, Agashi Maginus, Aka Eze Aka, Timothy Eneje, Mrs Ngozi Ugwu, Dr Livinus Nnaji, Agashi Sunday, Ede Eya, Nwodo Christian and Nnadi Christopher with the Foundation Program Director Omenma as the Technical Director of the Committee.
A non- governmental charity organization, the Chief Michael Odo-Abonyi Ichakporoko Foundation has begun the process of reviving school sports in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu state with special interest in the development of youth football.
The decision was arrived at after the inauguration of the foundation’s special project committee at the foundation’s office in Obollo Afor on Thursday 3, September, 2020.
A trustee of the foundation and the Parish priest of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Ogurute, Igbo Eze North local Government Area, Rev Father Frederick Agu, in a brief remark before inaugurating the committee said “Today is a great day in the history of our Foundation. On this day, it has pleased God to select from the crème of our society, men and women of proven credentials among whom are found a professor, a medical doctor, a learned gentleman, and educationists, etc., to perform a delicate function of shaping the history and destinies of indigent but intelligent children in our society. This was the major dream of our father Late Michael Odo Abonyi who lived out his philosophy of offering his earnings up in order to train the children of the poorest of the poor.
I shall not hesitate to inform you that as sacred as this duty is, it is nevertheless a work of charity. There is no material remuneration attached to it. As people of God, we believe that his grace is sufficient for us. We are entrusted with the duty of organizing and designing a road map for training, educating and giving of support to our needy children in our schools. At this level of our assignment, our focus shall be on three key sectors of training where immediate impact is needed: football competition, essay writing and debate.
It is expected that this committee shall brainstorm and decide which of these three areas of engagement will arouse the immediate interest of kids as well as make the Foundation a household name. Finally, we are expected to use our connections to attract statesmen, philanthropists, men and women of good will to support the Foundation through donation, grants, scholarships, etc., to enable the Foundation rise up to ever expanding educational needs of the ordinary people of the society.”
The Chairman of the Special Project planning committee who is also the Head, High Energy Astrophysics Research Group of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Prof Romanus Eze in a keynote address told the 12 member body that they were set up for the purpose of deciding, planning, and executing the competition that will be undertaken by various schools in the area.
Prof. Eze noted that the trustees of the foundation have proposed three different competitions which include but not restricted to football, Essay Competition, and or Quiz Competition. The committee after deciphering the three items in the proposal settled for football completion as a take-off.