By Okechukwu Keshi Ukegbu
“Service”, according to Eldon Tanner, “is the rent we pay for living on earth”. Some scriptures emphasise the need for us to render humanitarian services. “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbour, ‘Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you’—when you already have it with you. — Proverbs 3:27-28; “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.” — Proverbs 19:17.
Hon Erondu Uchenna Erondu, has lived up to the quote of Mother Theresa that says spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.Erondu has spread love everywhere and that is why the likes of the indigent persons from Nenu, Umuaro, Azuogwugwu, Osaa Ukwu, Ehere, Umuokahia 2, Isikor, among other communities within and outside Obingwa local government area of Abia State,who benefited from his laudable gestures of building houses for them would not be in a hurry to forget because these gestures have registered an imprint in their memories.
The list of the beneficiaries is expanding because new projects have been commissioned to takeoff. They are Mercy Nwagwu , Elijah Emmanuel, Alice Akobundu, Monday Marcus, Sylvanus Ogbonna, Uloaku Nwatata,Christian Nwosu, Florence Lazarus, Victoria Chikwe Ohajuru, Chinyere Friday, Charity Samuel, Nnenna Chinedu, Lilian Ogbonna, Uzoma Enyinna.
Others are Chizaram Amahe, Jerry Atulegwu, Comfort Anyanwu, Prince will Osuji(late), Moses Joseph, Felicia Joel, Goodluck Okoroafor, Comfort Samuel, among others. These do not include a hall(Ovu) at his compound; Umuokereke(Azuogwugwu) civic hall; Azuogwugwu/ Umuaro civic centre; Umuagada( Umuaro) civic hall.
” There is nobody among us who do not have something to give. Give to others so that God will bless you,” he said.” Nobody prompted me to do these things. I am on God’s mission and I will continue to do it. It makes me restless and gives me sleepless nights when I see tears on the eyes of other people”.
One story he told in the course of the oommissioning was emotionally- laden. Hon Erondu narrated how one of the beneficiaries, a widow,approached him after a function, which was equally designed to empower the less- privileged during the festivities in recent years and appealed to him for a little support. According to Erondu, a woman standing by scolded the woman and asked her what the little support could do for her when her hut which was occupying was almost caving in. Hon Erondu said that he was rooted to the ground as he was overwhelmed by emotions. ” I could not sleep that. I was restless. And after the succeeding nights, the memories of the previous days kept flashing back. I took a decision that I was going to improve the life of the widow by building a befitting house for her”. When the first trips of sand to mark the commencement of the building project arrived the woman’s compound, she ran into the bush shouting is this real or I am in a dream. And people were running after.I only find joy when I put smiles on the faces of those who are in need. This is my pact with God”.
Another interesting scenario played out in the course of the commissioning. Opposite a house that was to be commissioned was located a house that was highly dilapidated and very unfit for human inhabitation. Hon Erondu after the commissioning ordered that the dilapidated house be pulled down and that new building project should commence.