By Emeka Chiaghanam
New leadership promises stronger
humanitarian support across Anambra
The Unique Fellows All Nations Club, Awka, has installed
legal practitioner Sir Gabriel Udoka
Moneke, Ezeudoka, as its seventh Mayor, placing renewed attention on the
organisation’s charitable work for vulnerable people across Anambra State.
The installation, held on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at the ASUU Secretariat, Nnamdi Azikiwe University,
Awka, brought together professionals, philanthropists, traditional
rulers, business leaders and community figures for the leadership transition
and investiture.
Moneke, who was elected unopposed in February, had already
been piloting the affairs of the organisation before his formal inauguration
alongside other executive members at the ceremony, which also featured several
honours and recognitions.
The new Mayor pledged to build on the club’s existing
humanitarian activities while introducing people-oriented programmes designed
to create greater impact in Awka and other communities where residents require
practical support.
His administration, he said, would sustain the
organisation’s charity programmes and strengthen assistance to people facing
hardship, including members who have experienced serious health challenges and
others in difficult circumstances.
Moneke also appealed for continued support from members and well-meaning individuals, stressing that the organisation could do more for vulnerable people when its members, friends and other supporters remained committed to its charitable mission.
Club reports N10m intervention for
vulnerable residents
The scale of the organisation’s intervention was highlighted
by Barrister Kingsley Ezeibe,
chairman of the inauguration planning committee and immediate past Deputy
Mayor, who said the club had distributed N10 million to vulnerable residents between 2023 and 2026.
Ezeibe said the club’s priority included improving the lives of widows, elderly people, orphans, persons with disabilities, inmates, petty traders, artisans, technicians and other underprivileged members of society across the state.
He said the organisation was strengthening its charitable
activities to reach more vulnerable people, while promoting social inclusion
and providing support that could complement existing government efforts in
communities throughout Anambra.
The forum, according to Ezeibe, was established around 2002/2003, operates under a structured
administration and is incorporated with the Corporate Affairs Commission, reflecting its long-standing
organisational framework and continued commitment to community service.
Prof. Harrison Oghenekevwe Etega
also reaffirmed the organisation’s determination to complement government
efforts through programmes focused on disadvantaged people, particularly
residents whose circumstances make it difficult to meet basic needs without
assistance.
That commitment was reflected in the club’s outreach to Shawn Christabel Orphanage Home in Awka, where members donated food supplies including tubers of yam, bags of rice and cartons of noodles for the children.
Cyril Okoye becomes club patron
The ceremony also marked the formal recognition of renowned
philanthropist and Executive Chairman
of Grape Tree International Limited, marketers of Diplomat Toothpaste, Chief Cyril Okoye, as the new Patron
of Unique Fellows All Nations Club.
Okoye, an industrialist from Adazi-Ani in Anaocha Local Government Area, was honoured for his
sustained philanthropic interventions and community development efforts,
particularly his commitment to improving the welfare of people within and
beyond his immediate community.
Accepting the honour, Okoye thanked the club for the recognition and praised the new Mayor’s leadership approach, describing the occasion as especially meaningful because the organisation brings together professionals from different sectors of society.
He said he had received several recognitions for his
philanthropic activities at both local and national levels, but regarded the
latest honour as particularly significant because it came from an organisation
representing people from varied professional backgrounds.
Okoye dedicated the recognition to God Almighty and the people of Adazi-Ani, saying the honour had
further encouraged him to deepen his commitment to philanthropy and support
initiatives capable of improving the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
The businessman also urged wealthy Nigerians to contribute
more actively to national development, regardless of ethnic, religious or
regional differences, arguing that government alone could not address every
social and economic challenge facing citizens.
He pledged to continue supporting humanitarian causes and
called on affluent individuals to invest in initiatives that could help build a
more livable, peaceful and prosperous society for Nigerians.
Honours for distinguished Nigerians
Chairman of the occasion, Chief Ndubisi Nwobu, commended the club for continuing to assist
people at a difficult time, saying its interventions showed that members had
remained responsive to the needs of society.
Nwobu noted that the organisation’s contributions had
largely been sustained through donations from members and their friends, urging
them to maintain the tradition of giving and expand their support for people in
need.
He described Moneke as an astute lawyer and former chairman
of the Awka branch of the Nigerian Bar
Association, expressing confidence that his professional experience
would help move the club to greater heights.
Other members of the community also welcomed the leadership
transition, with the installation seen as another stage in the organisation’s
effort to combine professional networks with practical humanitarian support for
people facing hardship.
Among those honoured during the ceremony were former Nnamdi Azikiwe University Registrar, Mr Ngozi
Anyakora; Senator Ndii Obi; Chief Ifeanyi Obiakor, SAN; Chief Ndubisi Nwobu;
and Chief Kenechukwu Ekwueme, among others.
The traditional ruler of Umueri, HRH Igwe Ben Emeka (Okebo II), was also recognised, alongside
friends and associates of the club, adding a wider community dimension to an
event centred on service, leadership and philanthropy.
With Moneke now formally at the helm, the Unique Fellows All
Nations Club is positioning its next chapter around stronger community-focused
programmes, wider support for vulnerable residents and a continued partnership
with individuals committed to humanitarian service.
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