………As he celebrates three years as Chairman Council of Ndieze Lagos State.
Emmanuel lkpeama.
It’s said that service to humanity is the best work of life. The essence of life is making impact.
A life without impact is in -part and that’s the philosophy of Eze Dr Chika.C.Nwokedi,the Eze Ndigbo of ljegun/ljedodo and Chairman Council of Ndieze Lagos State.
Eze Dr C.C.Nwokedi is a man with many parts whose life has impacted positively on people within and without him. He has demonstrated sustained commitment to lifting people out of penury and has become the safety nets that prevents the poor from snowballing and sliding into penury.
The Okpoko 1 of Okpoko is a personification of the traditional rags-to-riches story of a majority of Igbos who did not have the benefit of education, but worked their way through a labyrinth of obstacles, difficulties and challenges to attain the greatest socio-economic heights in the society.
Following the death of his father while he was quite young and with moderate education, Nwokedi took a step of faith in leaving his village of Obodoukwu, in Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State and coming to lagos to make ends meet like every other young man in the society.
He saw himself at the popular Ladipo motor spare parts market where he hustled for five years, sleeping on bare floor in a shop for that number of years. Surviving in the highly competitive spare parts market where physical energy and ability to argue are essential requirement,he participated fully in the daily fights, knowing that his life depends on it.
At the age of 25years,signs of success began to manifest for Eze Nwokedi as he emerged President of the Ladipo Market Traders Association by popular demand.
He won the admiration of his colleagues for his honesty and loathsomeness of any form of dishonesty and insincerity which many in his line of business are associated with.
His assumption of positions of leadership was a rapid one, as he soon defeated older and richer traders in a keenly contested election to become Chairman of the Ladipo Auto Central Executive Committee.
The young boy from Obodo Ukwu had not only become a big man, financially speaking, he had become a force to reckon with politically, within the context of market traders association politics.
Throughout the parley, he continued adulating God, and intermittently urge people to embrace God in their dealings, and always say the truth at all times; no matter the circumstance.
This man brings hope and succour to the doorsteps of all and sundry. Every year he empowers women, widows and widowers with financial support and gift items every year.
He has made this gesture a second nature of him that a lot of his likes envy his avowed dedication to service.
Following his kind gesture and his dealings with people in always saying the truth at all times,no matter the circumstances, Ndigbo living in ljegun/ljedodo decided to make him the Eze Ndigbo of the community on March 19,2022.
And on May 2023,the lgbo Speaking community in Lagos State, under the leadership of Chief Sunday Udeh elected Eze Chika Nwokedi as the first elected Chairman of Council of Ndieze in Lagos State.
During the inaugural speech,Eze Nwokedi, promised to change the image of Ndieze and build cordial relationship with other ethnic groups and the Lagos State Government.
He noted that he accepted to be Chairman of Ndieze in order to change things for better and build on unity for Ndigbo to be respected across the State, noting that one of his priorities is to bring Ndieze under one umbrella and with unity among Ndieze in the state as it will be easier to galvanize the Igbo and give the positive direction.
Today he is seen as a blessing to so many people and always stands for any Igbo man or woman in trouble.
What about the shelter he provides for any Igbo man coming to Lagos first time. He makes his house home for such first comers and do not stop at just provision of shelter, he finds a job for that person.
No wonder, his house always become beehive of activities and people bask in the euphoria of the connoisseur that the conviviality of his abode provides.
Ostensibly throwing insight to the essence of kingship, the Igwe said for anyone to mount a royal throne, such person must be cognizant of the fact that he position is meant for service to the people, and not otherwise as not few people have seen the position to be exhibiting their egotistic dispositions.
He said, “Kingship is not about being uncaring about what people pass through in life but it is about empathizing with them.
He said royal throne is for someone that is kind-hearted and has the betterment of the people in mind at all times.To him, for anyone to qualify for the position, it is not about being educated and highly certificated. Rather, he said it is God’s call.”
He added by saying that it is about touching the lives of the people. It is not about money. It is about possessing the virtues of dignity, integrity and having the penchant to make people proud in identifying with the name of such royal father.
Success, for Eze Nwokedi, is not measured in terms of the number of houses that stand to his name, or the number of cars in his fleet. He considers success from the perspective of the number of people he has assisted to stand on their feet, economically and socially.
Over the years, he has demonstrated firm belief in the true admonition that you rise by lifting others. He has practically lifted many others who were in the same situation in which he was many years ago. And today, there are words of praise and prayers for him wherever he turns.
In his words anytime you meet him “As far as you are an Igbo, whenever they call upon me for any assistance, whether money, I render, as far as you are not a criminal; you are not a 419; you are not an occultic man; you are not doing anything against the law. Whenever you call me, I will answer you.”
His philanthropy also goes beyond ethnicity and religion as he is loved by other tribe especially the Yoruba community.
“If what you are doing is good, it is not by my strength, I will render it, no matter the tribe you come from, not only Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba, he says.After all I am paying school fees for some Yoruba children in this Lagos; they are not Igbo, they are Yorubas. So, either Igbo or Yoruba or Hausa, all of us are one, one blood. As far as our blood is red, nobody has the blood of yellow or white, so we are one. I believe in one unity and I believe in one love; that is what the Bible says.
Years back,he conceived the idea of setting up a philanthropic organization known as Ndigbo buru Otu Association of Nigeria to assist the needy,widows especially Ndigbo He is the President General of the association that serves as an umbrella covering members against any form of adversity, including offering material and moral assistance to them.
The association has acquired a large expanse of land in Lagos to serve as its estate where members buy property at subsidized rate. It has also offered assistance to the poor, including widows and orphans outside the association.
In his personal capacity,Eze Nwokedi has offered a helping hand to many people back home in Obodo Ukwu, in many ways, little wonder he was the SDP governorship candidate in Imo State in the 2019 general elections.
Understanding that security is everyone’s business, he renovated many police stations,including the defunct SARS office in Lagos, as well as other parts of Nigeria; refurbished over 20 police vehicles in various divisions; provided over 5,000 security flash lights worth more than N1million which were distributed to officers in the 36 states of the federation and supplied over 1,000 rechargeable power banks and light sockets to assist police officers perform their duties, especially in the night.
He has also given the police revolving lights for escort vehicles, as well as sirens.
Due to his philanthropic dispositions, he has received so many award, among which is the United Nations Ambassador.He is happily married to Ugoeze Pastor (Mrs.) Tessy Chika Nwokedi, Pastor in charge of Grace and Mercy Restoration Ministry (Arena of Holy Ghost), Ijedodo, Ijegun Lagos and the marriage is blessed with blessed and wonderful children.
Today, through the cliché of dint of hard work, the man who took a step into the unknown 30 years ago is wealthy, by any standard, sitting at the apex of a thriving, multibillion naira organization known as Chipresido Merchandise Property Limited as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.
As he celebrates three years on the throne as Chairman Council of Ndieze Lagos State,the investigator news crew is wishing him more wisdom, understanding and above all the fear of God to lead the Ndigbos living in Lagos State.
