By steve anyebe.
The unstoppable moving train of the Godwin Obla Foundation made three stops recently in the ancient town of Otukpo, Central Nigeria, dropping its usual giving-back largesse in its wake.
History Of Family Service:
On Friday 24th October 2025 the Foundation handed over two fully renovated classroom blocks to the Otiya Methodist Nursery/Primary School in Otukpo. The classrooms, fully equipped with modern smart writing boards, new tables and chairs, were dedicated by mother of the Chairman, Godwin Obla Foundation, Mrs Mammy Obla, in memory of her late husband Elagbaje Obla, in a colourful ceremony witnessed by elders, women fellowship, teachers and pupils of the Otiya Methodist Church. The Church Steward, Brother Gabriel Eji, described it as a day of joy as he recalled how Chief Godwin Obla in 2002, as Executive Chairman of Otukpo LGC, completed a five classroom block from foundation level for them. Twenty three years on, same Chief Godwin Obla has undertaken full renovation of the same school in memory of his father, a former Senior Steward himself in the Church, completing a beautiful history of family service.
Assisting his mother to cut the tape at Otiya Methodist Nursery/Primary School, Chief Godwin Odumu Obla, SAN, stressed that effective learning could only be achieved in a well equipped and properly organised enabling environment, pointing out that he would continue to do his best towards providing for children to grow up under modern academic standards. He charged the School authority to properly utilise a monthly maintenance allowance to be provided by his Foundation, warning that he would take drastic action if he ever found the compound unkempt.
Before leaving, Chief Obla did not forget what is fast becoming his signature act: splashing financial gifts on all the teachers, Youth Corpers inclusive, sending the crowd into pleasurable hysteria.
Commitment to Alma Mater:
From Otiya the philanthropic train same day moved on to St Andrews Practicing Primary School, established in 1956 by the Methodist Church to tend to the training needs of their trainee teachers at Jesus College. Chief Godwin Obla, who identified the classrooms where he spent his last three years in the primary school, told the elated teachers and pupils that whatever he has become today must be attributed to the School too.
“When I was here as a boy nobody thought I would be what I am today. So you boys and girls must study hard, obey your teachers, and focus on your future. To the teachers, I know the difficult conditions under which you work but you must put in your best to produce leaders out of these children”, he charged.
The Director General of Godwin Obla Foundation, Elder Michael Ubah Obande, earlier traced the efforts that went into the full renovation of the block of classrooms and Head Teacher’s office from the time of promise to its fulfilment. The commissioning and handing over of the fully renovated block was witnessed by the Parents/Teachers Association of the School as well as officials from the Area Education Office. With joy written all over their faces after Chief Obla pronounced his usual monetary gifts to the teachers, the Head Teacher humbly presented some tubers of yam and bunches of plantains to the Senior Advocate of Nigeria in keeping with usual gestures of African hospitality.
Self Help Initiative:
On the 25th day of October, in the year of our Lord 2025, the Godwin Obla Foundation also initiated one of her prominent legacy ideas. It was the foundation laying ceremony of an ultra modern Amenity Ward at the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital, Otukpo, personally done by the Chairman of the Foundation, Chief Godwin Odumu Obla, accompanied by the Director General of the Foundation, Elder Michael Ubah Obande.
Welcoming guests to the ceremony, the ever smiling Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Teaching Hospital, Prof Teddy Eyaofun Agida, told the story of how Chief Godwin Obla casually promised to build a modern amenity ward one day while taking a tour of the former Otukpo General Hospital, expressing his boundless happiness for the fulfilled promise, adding that since the conversion of the health facility to a Teaching Hospital, the only projects so far have been by Obla Foundation. Prof Eyaofun extolled Chief Godwin Obla for building the world class Judith Ogwa Obla Memorial Kidney Centre (in memory of his late wife) and donating it to the Teaching Hospital, reeling out the great benefits which have accrued to Idomaland since it commenced operation.
In his speech, Chief Godwin Odumu Obla, first Senior Advocate of Nigeria from Benue South Senatorial District and Chairman Godwin Obla Foundation, told the audience that he made the promise to build a modern Amenity Ward for the Teaching Hospital because of the challenge he felt when confronted by its deplorable environment while going round the wards in 2024. According to him, “sometimes the sickness may not kill a patient but the environment would”.
The 23 rooms apartments fully equipped Amenity Ward is expected to be completed before the second quarter of 2026 and would cater for the needs of those who can afford the services.
Chief Godwin Obla once again used the occasion to discountenance insinuations that his philanthropic activities could be politically motivated, reiterating his earlier disposition never again to run for elective office or even accept public appointments.
He charged Idoma people not to allow their inferior numerical strength to imbibe in them a culture of self-defeatism and irrelevance, but deploy it to demonstrate the Idoma spirit of resilience, integrity, progressive engagement, and philanthropy, vowing to rally wealthy Idomas to do more for Idomaland.
