GUO Motors CEO, Wife Mark 76th, 71st Birthdays with Physically Challenged Students at Onitsha

By Uzo Ugwunze

Chief Godwin Ubaka Okeke, Chairman/CEO of GUO Motors Limited has urged wealthy Nigerians to assist the physically challenged and vulnerable people in the society.

Okeke made the declaration over the weekend at the Basilica of St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, Onitsha while celebrating his 76th birthday simultaneously with his wife, Dr. Lady Patricia Okeke’s 71st birthday.

The famous Trasporter couple had celebrated the birthdays with the physically challenged pupils and students of Deaf and Dumb Primary and Secondary Schools, Odoakpu, Onitsha, Anambra state.

He explained that his decision to celebrate with the physically challenged and offer them financial, materials, medical and educational assistance was to fulfil his statutory obligations, as directed by the Almighty God.

He disclosed that he was emotionally happily fulfilled each time he finds himself in the midst of such handicapped and physically challenged persons paying their school fees and putting foods on their table because according to him, while interacting with them, he usually discovered that most of them are as intelligent as or even more intelligent than those who are not physically challenged.

According to Chief Okeke, “it is not their fault that they came into this world and found themselves as physically challenged persons but the will of God. They really need special assistance from the both the federal and state governments, as well as public spirited individuals and groups to survive and live their lives as normal human beings created by the same God that created everybody on earth.

“For about 40 years now, I have been doing my best for the physically challenged persons in terms of education, feeding and learning of handworks. I started with the blind and then added the deaf and dumb and most of them have graduated from various higher institutions, secured juicy appointments at both private, federal and state government establishments like universities and ministries and I feel very happy about that”.

“Armed with their job securities in tertiary institutions and government parastatals, many of them are equally married with children and I call on various tiers of governments, groups and individuals to develop interest in assisting those physically challenged persons in our midst”.

Showering abundant praises on Chief Okeke, Mrs Ngozi Madubuike, Principal of the Special Secondary School for the Deaf and Dumb, Odoakpu Onitsha and Mrs. Augustina Akpuogwu, Head Teacher of the Primary section of the school disclosed that apart from feeding and paying school fees for all the students and pupils of the school, Okeke equally built hostel accommodations for about 50 of them.

Mrs. Madubuike and Akpuogwu therefore called on both government, groups and individuals to tow the line of Okeke’s philanthropic activities by building more hostel accommodations for the people, as part of corporal works of Mercy.

Anglican Youth Fellowship from All Saints Anglican Church Cathedral Onitsha, led by Chiemelie Muoneke thrilled Okeke and his wife, Dr. Lady Patricia with their scintilating band music shortly after they cut their birthday cake.

Inspite of the fact that Okeke and his wife are core Anglican faithfuls, a delegation from Mary the Queen Catholic Church, Okpanam, near Asaba, Delta state, led by Engr. Fidelis Obishai and Ikemufuna Chioma Abiakame, a branch manager of Zenith Bank Plc, presented birthday gifts to Okeke whom they described as a mentor, philanthropist to the core and an enigma and charged others to imbibe such a spirit of giving.

Highlights of the ceremony was the distribution of N10,000 cash gifts to no fewer than 284 disabled persons who came from far and near to witness the birthday ceremony, including teachers of the handicapped schools.