Philanthropist flags off construction of rural road, drainages
Aphilanthropist and Chief Executive Officer of Wave of Mind Resource Nigeria Limited, Chief Ocholi Yusuf Okpanachi has embarked on the construction of a road and drainages to control gully erosion in Ugwolawo, Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Okpanachi, who disclosed this during the flag-off of the two projects at Ogwolawo on Wednesday, said the projects would cost N11.8 million.
He said the one-kilometre road would gulp N8.6 million while the drainages would cost N3.2 million.
The philanthropist said his decision to construct the road and fix the drainages was borne out of the desire to solve the age-long suffering and deprivation members of the community often suffer during the rainy season.
He said the projects would ease the movement of people during rainy season, adding, “I grew up to meet this particular road in a bad condition in this community and people living along this axis find it difficult to access their houses during the rainy season.
“The bad condition of the road has created unbearable hardship to residents of this area and as a young boy growing up in the community, I vowed that if God almighty gives me the financial power, I will construct the road for my people without seeking help from anybody.
“Today, God has given me the financial capacity to fulfill my promise and that is why I moved my construction company down here to the community to fix the road and construct drainages that will control the erosion for my people.”
Yusuf Okpanachi called on influential Igala sons and daughters to pool resources together for the development of Igala kingdom.
Okpanachi, who is also the founder of Wave of Success Foundation, an NGO through which he gives back to the society, noted that it was not possible for government to provide all the basic necessities of life to the people at the grassroots due to limited resources at its disposal.
“My message to every well-to-do Igala person is for us to come together and pool our resources together to develop our land because the government alone cannot provide all the basic necessities of life to communities.
“I humbly advise every other person that has the capacity to do one or two things for his or her community to do so because whatever you provide, no matter how small, will go a long way in improving the living standard of the people at the grassroots,” he advised.
The General Manager of the construction company, Engr. Teidi Suleiman, in his remark, promised the community a quality road that will be second to none in the entire Ogwolawo community.
“This projects are not the type of projects individuals in society can easily carry out, but because of the love our CEO has for his people, he decided to come and contribute his quota to the development of Ogwolawo his community”, he said.
The CEO and his team had earlier paid a courtesy visit on the Attah Igala, HRM, Dr. Idakwo Michael AmehOboni II where he intimated the royal father of his plans and received royal blessings.