11092019 - BAILOUT: Pressure on states as FG starts deductions

36— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2019
WITH HENRY OJELU
midweekpersonality@gmail.com
08111813061 (sms only)
KEN ANORUO:
Lawyer cum
philanthropist with
passion for orphanage
homes
His name may not ring a bell in the roll call of
prominent lawyers in Nigeria, but
Ken Anoruo is making impact in areas outside
of the legal profession. For over 10 years, Anoruo
has successful executed a strategy of supporting
motherless baby’s homes through students’
participation. In this interview, he shares insight on
the strategy, his challenges and expectations from
government.
Background
I am a native of Obogwe
in Umunwaku autonomous
community of Ohaji/Egbema
Local Government Area of
Imo state. My father, late Pa
Alphonsus Uchewuako
Anoruo was a civil servant
and my mother late Mrs.
Irene Anoruo was a farmer. I
attended Central School
Umunwaku, Ohaji, for my
primary school. After my
secondary school, I was
admitted into Adeniran
Ogunsanya College of
Education Ijanikin where I
studied Economics and
Political Science. From
there, I proceeded to the
Lagos State University
where I obtained my First
Degree in Law. I was called
to the Nigerian Bar on
November 25, 2015.
Childhood Dreams
My childhood dream has
been to make impact and
stand out in whatever I find
myself doing. As to whether
or not it has been achieved,
I will say it’s a work in
progress. Though I have
achieved some, I am not
there yet. The most
important thing is to start
well on a good foundation.
And like the scripture says,
“the hand of Zerubabel has
laid this foundation, and he
must finish it “.
Challenges growing up
My childhood is one
characterized by a lot of
challenges. First I lost my
mother at a very tender age
and my father refused to
remarry. According to him,
my mother loved and
respected him so much that
he did not think he could
ever get a woman that would
be a close substitute.
Secondly, he said he
wouldn’t like any woman to
come in and maltreat us.
So that decision made me
and my siblings not to
experience motherly care.
In addition to that, four of
my sisters were sent out as
housemaids, thereby
leaving us with much
domestic works and less
time to play unlike some of
our
mates
who
could
afford
the
luxury of
playing
moments
due to
the fact
that
they had
sisters
who
could do
most of
the
domestic
chores
at home.
At some
point, I
was
almost
frustrated
out of
school
due to
non
payment
of school
fees. So I was on and off
school. It took the
intervention of my eldest
I believe that
the world will
become a
better place for
all if we
devote our
time to doing
good to our
fellow man.
We are blessed
to be a
blessing and
anything short
of that to me is
a wasted
purpose
brother Chidi Anoruo (now
late) to revive my dreams.
Orphanage homes
project
Basically the project was
conceived to motivate
people especially students
to imbibe the culture of
giving. The desire to
inculcate certain
humanitarian values into
Kenneth Anoruo
children is the primary
motivation behind the
project. The idea is to see
the project or similar ideas
duplicated in different forms
by these students in their
various endeavors. Today in
our society, people find it
difficult to part with their
belongings and valuables
not knowing
that is one of
the ways to
live a happy
life. Come to
think of it,
how many
orphans and
beggars can I
feed? Or how
many widows
can I assist
alone? So
since the
vision is to
make the
society better
by taking
care of the
vulnerable
amongst us, I
feel there is
the need to
educate the
younger
generation to
emulate the
idea. Besides
mobilizing
the students
to give
whatever
they can afford to orphans,
I also encourage them to
join me in my other
humanitarian activities
carried out by my
foundation, Ken Anouro
Centre for Humanitarian
Initiative, KACHI.
The passion
My humanitarian activities
are simply my own way of
giving a definition to my
philosophy of life. I believe
that the world will become a
better place for all if we
devote our time to doing
good to our fellow man. We
are blessed to be a blessing
and anything short of that to
me is a wasted purpose. So
from the little God has
blesses me, I try as much as
I can to use to affect lives.
Orphanage reforms
I think that the
government should as a
matter of urgency rise up to
the occasion and pay more
attention to the operation of
orphanage homes in
Nigeria. The ministries of
women affairs of the various
states should be concerned
about the activities in the
orphanage home. There is
so much rot in orphanage
homes operation across the
country. Many use it as a
conduit for perpetrating
heinous crimes such as
child trafficking and rituals.
Government should set up
a committee to monitor the
activities of these homes
and ensure that every
children home is set up
with a clear vision which
must make these
vulnerable children better
persons in the future.
Orphanage homes should
not be a business venture
with which their operators
use to swindle unsuspecting
members of the public.
Other projects
Aside our orphanage
homes project, we also run
a pre-varsity tutorial
academy. The academy has
made tremendous impact
since inception and this
justifies the reason it is the
number one name that
comes to the mind of
prospective Joint Admission
and Matriculation Board,
JAMB examination
candidates. We run a six
month intensive program
which is designed to
properly equip the students.
The aim is to make the
students self reliant at the
end of the program. Since
students are moving into
another phase of life, the
least we owe them is to
make a radical
dislodgement of certain set
patterns which have for
long conscripted them in a
cocoon of fear and
inferiority complex. The
radical dislodgement of
those set patterns gives
room of a reorientation
which will make them tilt
towards a better direction
in life. Today our students
are doing very well with
many graduating with first
class in different higher
institutions.
Role models
The truth is that looking
up to people in life
sometimes could be
discouraging and
frustrating thereby making
one to lose focus. Life is not
about competition and who
has achieved most or the
least in life. Rather, it
should be more of purpose
and impact. No two people
can make the same impact
in life. The lives of
Methuselah and Christ
illustrate one principle; it is
not the years in one’s life
that matters but the life in
one’s years. I always look
up to God for greater
impact, but that doesn’t
mean I don’t have people
that I consult whenever I
need some advice.
Biggest life’s lesson
One of the biggest lessons
I have learnt is that life
does not give you what you
want; it only gives you what
it has at a moment in time.
It is left for you to decide
what to make out of it.
Advice for
entrepreneurs
For upcoming
entrepreneurs, the basic
tools for building a striving
business include
dedication, diligence and
self discipline. No business
grows overnight. A
business is like a new born
baby who has to undergo
certain stages with
changes, from childhood to
adolescent, to youth and
adulthood. In all these
stages, the parents need
patience, dedication and a
defined family value with
which the child will be
known with. That is how
businesses work.