Mr. Emmanuel Onyeka Okoh, popularly known across Igboland as Okwulora Ndigbo is a popular social media celebrity and influencer with an unusual style and approach. In the past couple of years, Okwulora has been known for using his brand to raise tens of millions of naira for the needy, particularly those in the hospitals, former sportsmen, retired but ailing musicians, students, young entrepreneurs, among others. Community Reporters spotted him during the signing of sponsorship deal between Enugu Rangers FC and Afrinvest and cornered him to talk about his activities. Excerpts
How I began
This is what I love to do. I love to promote myself and also promote the good living of people who are good.
Using your platform to lift Rangers FC
Rangers is one of the institutions I have taken upon myself to promote. I want the days of Emmanuel Okala and Christian Chukwu to return back to Rangers International Football Club, Enugu.
I made a promise to support Rangers FC through lifting its fan base. I know I have the capacity to do that and we are going to do it at no cost.
Alone, I pull over 20,000 crowd wherever I’m hosting events in any state of the Southeast. You can imagine doing that for Rangers which is an entity embraced by the whole Igboland both at home and in diaspora. So, I believe, we can motivate Rangers to glory with the right support.
With an understanding youthful general manager, Amobi Ezeaku and an understanding governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, I believe the right support will definitely come for Rangers from the right people.
My concern is for the club to return back to our football cathedral, which is the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium here in Enugu and not playing their home games in Awka.
I want all of these players to be happy. I want them to walk the streets of Enugu feeling like the stars they are.
Personal life
Okwulora is not married. My priority is lifting people and making as many people as possible smile. I do that often especially during this difficult period for Nigerians. Everybody must not get married but I’m certainly going to do that at the right time.
Some influencers turning scammers
I only know about myself. I don’t listen to gossips. People have different motives for doing whatever they are doing. So, mine is to lift as many people as possible from difficulties. And I have remained consistent with that calling.
So, I won’t be here now telling you that this person or that person did this or that. I don’t criticize people. I only mind my business because I have a lot in my hands to do.
In the last one year, Igbo youths have contributed over N1 billion to people who have been forgotten. The most important thing to me is that these monies don’t come through me. I ensure they are remitted straight to the account of the people in need.
If I visit a sick person, I put the person’s account details on social media and I will donate first to motivate people to make donations.
Through this means, we have assisted a lot more needy people. In some cases, we raise N50 million, N70 million and even N100 million, and so on for such sick people
We have settled huge medical bills, started businesses for thousands of young entrepreneurs who are already productive with so little.
For what others do, I don’t know.
I’ll rather criticize government than individuals. This is because government has the responsibility to address a lot of issues. So, I’ll rather call out government than individuals.
I don’t dig into gossips. I dig into things that will improve lives of people. A lot of people in Enugu and Igboland are finding things difficult. To feed is a problem to many families.
Last week, I was in the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu, I raised about N20 million for one patient and personally donated N1.1 million to that course.
This is the kind of things that I like to hear and do.
Anyone who is into this came with a motive. Mine is natural.
Scandal-free lifestyle
How can scandal come? Anything that will result to scandal, I don’t do it. I am always open especially when it has to do with touching money. So, I don’t get involved in scandals. When people see the impact their contributions have made in the lives of others, they feel more obliged to do more. The impact is there and I only allow donations to be made in the accounts of the people concerned.
Number of beneficiaries so far
I can’t count the numbers. They are a lot. But most notable to me are our legendary musicians: Okey Jakota, Bro. Luke Ezeji. God used us to revive them and show them that their contribution to humanity using music was not in vain.
The truth of the matter is that I don’t count them because I do not want to take personal glory for what God has done in their lives.
The money they get does not come to me. Some times, some of them would call me to inform me how much that came to them. Many others do not tell me. While others would tell me that they have sorted their problems. In all, I don’t bother them. My concern is for them to leave their old situation.
Reaching Okwulora for assistance
I have thousands of calls every day. But sometimes I go through text messages and if it is something I need to react to urgently, I will do that.
In it something is. Earlier I thought differently, many thanks for the information.