MEET FRANK OSHANUGOR
By Grace Hygie-Enwerem
If there is anything that often elevates the spirit of an Imo State born businessman, politician and governorship enthusiast, Chief Charles Orie, it is the smiles on the faces of beneficiaries of his philanthropic gestures usually done through his Charles Orie Foundation in collaboration with other community development and non-governmental outfits like Tilda Care Foundation.
Speaking on the sideline to ATLANTICNEWSONLINE when members of the United Kingdom/Nigeria based Tilda Care Foundation; paid him a courtesy visit at his private residence in Owerri last Saturday, Okorie said his community support programmes have spanned many years dating back to the early 90s. According to him “if you actually go back to my history, Charles Orie Foundation did not start today to give helping hands to people, supporting families and businesses. This is what I have been doing all my life. It gives me joy seeing people smile and live in happiness.”
As the Foundation’s outreach programme is not a one-off thing, Charles Orie Foundation has grassroot support by engaging traditional rulers, chiefs, women and other leaders who ensure that the support materials trickle down to the less privileged in the communities. At each phase of the community support outreach over the years, Tilda Care Foundation coordinated by Mrs. Ngozi Awa has always collaborated and Charles Orie Foundations does not discriminate in touching lives in any part of Nigeria.
With a good record of numerous initiatives spearheaded by his Foundation, Chief Orie had helped to address pressing social issues ranging from education, health care to social
justice and if you ask him what is the propelling force, he would readily say that “all I do is because of God and I will allow Him to be the one to measure the impact of all I do, not man.”
Feeling not done yet with his Foundation’s philanthropy to humanity so far, Chief Orie is poised to partner with local and international organizations like Ford Foundation. According to him “we have written to Cleveland Foundation in United States, we partner with NDDC and a whole lot of others. We want to build an old people’s home where the elderly ones who need same can dwell. All over the world people depend on Foundations more than the government. Foundations meet people up with either funds or food items or other things. Foundations in Nigeria are not doing differently, it’s a global thing and Nigeria is part of the world.”
Recounting some of his Foundation’s achievements so far, Orie explained that “we are lightning up some communities with solar lights in collaboration with NDDC and responses from interview conducted, showed testimonies of people staying into midnights trading and carrying out other activities that improve their finances. Apart from that, the whole communities are lit up and criminal activities in these communities have gone down tremendously.”
Politically speaking, Chief Charles Orie may not have come out openly to declare in clear terms, his intention to run for the governorship of Imo State in 2027, yet he readily admits the fact that a lot of communities, youths and women groups were already urging him to come out in the 2027 governorship elections. He has not really made up his mind as he is still consulting family and friends.
Even though, he is yet to make up his mind, his motivating factor whenever he finally decides to run for the governorship hinges on the need to do the right thing and change some narratives, given his accumulated global experience as a Nigerian in the diaspora. He acknowledged the fact that the incumbent Governor of the State, Hope Uzodimma whom he described as his elder brother is doing very well, adding that whoever becomes the next governor would definitely have his own programme and build on the legacies of Uzodimma.
