TRIBUTE TO LATE CHIEF G.C. ORANIKA(OCHENDO)

Received the news with mixed feelings and grief. The great man, most humble person on earth, a Philanthropist and a father, I call him a father because when I thought that all was lost, he came to me and asked me to come to Abuja, it took me time to relocate from Enugu to Abuja especially when I consider the type of friends and life, Eddy you cannot speak Hausa, where are you going to stay? But this God sent man did all these things for me not only giving me a job, but provided shelter for me. He touched the lives of many abatete indigens, I remember when I was the financial secretary of ADO Abuja, we used to run from one secondary school to another in search of where to hold our monthly meetings because the FCT Education board gave notices banning town unions from holding meetings inside the school compound, it became a serious problem and we had to run to “Ochendo” who gave out his personal land and money an that was the success of Abatete guest house today. Ochendo lived a very good, peaceful and quiet life worthy of emulation, it is really painful that we are losing him at this point in time when we needed his useful advice. May his soul rest in peace. From Eddy Okpala & Family