The Godwin and Patricia Okeke Foundation has made a significant contribution to the Special Secondary School for the Deaf in Odoakpu, Onitsha, Anambra State, by donating dormitory and classroom blocks. These new additions, which include classrooms, lodging, hostels, dormitories, and vocational centers, are all equipped with modern learning facilities.
Speaking at the handover ceremony on Sunday, the foundation’s founder, Sir Godwin Okeke, explained that this donation was his way of giving back to society. Okeke, who is also the founder of GUO Motors, emphasized that the new facilities aim to provide students with access to quality education. “My wife, children, and I took it upon ourselves to invest in the less-privileged and people with special needs by building these dormitory and classroom blocks for conducive learning,” he said.
He added, “We decided to build and donate this edifice to the school owned by the Diocese on the Niger (Anglican Communion) as part of celebrating my 75th birthday and my wife’s 70th birthday. Additionally, I have donated over N30 million in cash to the less-privileged and the elderly. We are happy doing this and will continue to do more, trusting God to reward us in His own way. We encourage other well-to-do individuals in society to invest in the less-privileged, particularly those with disabilities among them.”
The Anglican Bishop on the Niger, Rt. Rev. Dr. Owen Nwokolo, commended Chief Okeke and his family for their ongoing support to the vulnerable. “Chief Okeke, his wife Patricia, and their children have been helping the vulnerable in and outside Anambra State for the past 10 years,” he noted.
Ify Felicia Agu, the principal of the school, expressed her gratitude for the donation, describing the new structure as ultra-modern hostel facilities with attached caregiver sections and a kitchen for the pupils and students. She also highlighted other aspects of the donation, including sets of sewing machines for practical training, renovation of classroom and office blocks, a motivational payment of N30,000 for the entire staff, and the compilation of SSCE (WAEC) for the year 2023.
