COVID 19: New York-based group  on track to channel over N30 million Naira to Nigeria for less privileged in Mbaise 

New York, April 21, 2020:

As recently reported the New York USA and Owerri Imo State based, Mbaise Policy Roundtable (MPR), has embarked on two main COVID 19 alleviation projects, namely, the “MPR Coronavirus Prevention Awareness Program, (MCPAP)” and the “Adopt-A-Village Initiative (ADAVI)”, projected to funnel over 30 million Naira to the needy in the Mbaise community of Imo State, Nigeria.

Most of these funds will come directly from the members of the group, inspired by the organization’s appeal to the to be generous towards the less privileged in their communities.

The ADAVI program is structured to encourage members to donate cash, food, medicines and other hardship alleviating services, in order to mitigate hunger and hardships induced by the COVID 19 prevention remedies. The other member-sponsored initiative, MCPAP, is also projected to infuse about three million Naira into the Mbaise community as salaries and payment for goods and services.

There are 36 political Wards in Mbaise and there are MPR members from every Ward, who are being encouraged to organize and donate palliatives, as cash, food, medicines and other essentials to cushion COVID 19 induced hardships, particularly among the most vulnerable members of their communities. While some have already executed their ADAVI compliant programs, others are gearing up to implement theirs. Thus far contributions have tracked over N1 million naira worth of palliatives per Ward.

The first of the series implemented took place in the Amuzi community of Ahiazu, coordinated by Barr Maxwell Opara and supported by Dozie and Chidinma Onwuliri , Chief Mike and Dr Nomso Opara and 35 others, from Umuokazi, a village in Amuzi. They raised about N1 million and shared same among indigent citizens of the village, to assist them to buy food and medicines. This was done a day after they had engaged and paid six trained health workers who moved from house to house in the entire village sensitizing people on the preventive measures against COVID-19. They also shared about 500 tablets of soap donated by one of them.

Another ADAVI event with price tag of about N2 million Naira, took place in the villages of Akabor Ihenweorie and Umuokisi, sponsored by Dr Mrs Ndidi Oparaoji and Lady Nwamaka Oparaoji. These brought smiles and appreciation to women of those villages numbering in their hundreds. Dr Mrs Ndidi Oparaoji gave each of the women in her targeted group N5000 cash, yam tubers and other food items, while Lady Nwamaka Oparaoji distributed food items such as garri, rice, beans and others to the Umuokisi widows. Lady Oparaoji also had on ground a healthcare practitioner who educated the attendees on the importance of obeying the stay at home order, handwashing, respiratory hygiene and social distancing.

At Umumbiri Ekwerazu, Dr Keyna Osondu Omenukor, the CEO of David Omenukor Foundation and MPR Health Program Director brought cheers to families and widows of that community. The foundation donated cash, food and goods estimated at over N1 million naira, including 0.5 million cash to 60 families, as well as various food items and locally produced protective facial masks. They also visited the different Mbaise local government offices and donated masks. In all their outings, they educated their audiences on the dos and donts of COVID 19 prevention. Nearby, at Lude, Ahiara, Dr Law Osondu, teamed up with Dr Omenukor and other prominent citizens of the village to execute another ADAVI compliant event estimated at over N1 million naira.

Another completed ADAVI compliant program was for the women of Umuoduga, Umuaghara, in Ogbe, who were beneficiaries of the humanitarian gestures of an MPR couple Sir Nick and Lady Doris Nwuda. The couple provided palliatives such as food items, not only to the women of Umuoduga village, but to Lady Nwuda’s village of Amumara.

Not to be left out, Mr AJ Stailes, the Mbaise Youths Ambassador, is organizing a program titled “Breakfast: Operation feed a starving brother/Sister”, to deliver palliatives worth about N1 million naira to indigent youths.

Commenting on their experiences regarding the Adopt-A-Village initiative, Sir Nwuda said “Prof Oparaoji and MPR family God bless you, for this idea of adopt a village. This adopt a village is making more impact. Even if MPR raises N20 million Naira, it may not make the type of impact this adopt a village is having on our people. The prayers and blessings from these women is not for me alone. It is also for the entire MPR family.”

Also commenting on the MPR COVID 19 programs, the Chairman of the Organization, Professor Eddie Oparaoji said “We are very grateful for the generosity of our members who are making sacrifices to enhance the quality of life of the most vulnerable members of our community. In addition to the beneficiaries of our ADAVI programs, the lives of about 200 of our citizens who will be trained and deployed, as community informants and Disease Surveillance Notification Officers, to educate our citizens on COVID 19, using a unique strategy, will never be the same again. It is a service they and all of us would cherish for the rest of our lives. Although by conservative estimates, our members are on track to expend over N30 million Naira, to combat the fallout of COVID 19, the smiles and prayers of appreciation from our community are simply priceless and worth every kobo.”

MPR is the premier pre-eminent Mbaise Public Policy and Business Advisory Council in the World, focused entirely on the development of Mbaise and Imo State, through the facilitation of financial and in-kind resources, private investments and private public partnerships.
MPR is situated to liaise, partner, and/or collaborate with international entities, the Imo State Government and agencies, and the private sector to produce and advance policies that will fast track Mbaise and Imo State development to a first world status.