Pa Ephraim Obinedu, a 93-year-old newspaper vendor finds his way very early in the morning each day to the newspaper distribution point located at Amikwo Awka, the Anambra state capital.? And despite his age, he struggles alongside youthful newspaper vendors to collect his supplies for the day.? He has been in the newspaper vending business for several years, and seems not to be in a hurry to quit the stage despite being a millionaire.? For him, life will be meaningless without an opportunity to take the newspapers from the distribution point to the streets for people to buy.
Last year, the Anambra State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ),?? gave him an award as the longest serving newspaper vendor in the country. After the audience had listened to the citation of the then 92 –year- old newspaper vendor which revealed that his inability to retire stemmed from the fact that he fended for himself; having no known relatives,? wife and children inclusive, well meaning Nigerians including factional chairman, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA),? Chief Victor Umeh, Chairman, Orient Communications, Mr.? Godwin Ezeemo, and chairman, Capital Oil and Gas, Dr Ifeanyi Ubah, announced their intention to set up a retirement trust fund in his name.
Beyond that, several people in the audience donated money for his upkeep, and at the last count, he had?? the sum of N1.5 million in his kitty, thus instantly becoming a millionaire. In an interview with reporters after the event, Pa Obinedu, who expressed thanks to the union for the award announced that he had retired from the newspaper vending business against the backdrop of his millionaire status.
But barely six months after his voluntary retirement, Pa Obinedu now 93, had last week returned to the only business he knows how to do well.? He looked agile as he went about transacting his business.
And when LEADERSHIP approached him for an interview, he simply said:? “leave me I am still doing business…this business is my hope and my life”. And when asked why he is still in the business, despite having pledged to retire, Pa Obinedu again responded, “I will soon retire”.
Investigations however, revealed that he still sells newspapers on the streets of Awka, and is not in a hurry to retire even in the nearest future. Some of his colleagues who spoke with LEADERSHIP said nothing had changed about Pa Obinedu since he became a millionaire. “He still wears the same clothes; he has not even bought himself a handset, nor has he changed his feeding habit to match his new status as a millionaire,” Eze Udu, a vendor said.
A newspaper distributor, Felix Deboy Oti who supplies Pa Obinedu with newspapers said:? “Even we who know him are confused because he carries on as if nothing has changed about him.
“We were afraid that he may have lost the money because that day, the money was put in a bag and given to the police for safekeeping. This time, he hustles for more newspapers than even before when he was a poor man.”
Though Obinedu refused to disclose what he did with the money, our reporter who traced the nonagenarian to Assemblies of God Church, Court Road, Awka where he resides, found out from the elders of the church that the money was still intact.? It was kept away from him to ensure that he didn’t spend it unnecessarily.
Rev Patrick Offor, the presiding pastor of Assemblies of God Church, Court Road, Awka where Obinedu is a founding member, told our correspondent that the church board was in possession of the money and plans to institute a trust fund to be known as ‘Obinedu Trust Fund’.
Offor further disclosed that the church was already planning how to help Obinedu by setting up a retirement fund that will aid him when the Anambra Council of NUJ nominated him for the award that turned him into a millionaire. The planned retirement fund apparently did not seem to go down well with Obinedu.?? He reportedly sneaks out of the church compound very early in the morning to the newspaper distribution point to pick his daily supplies, and thereafter moves to the streets to hawk newspapers.
Rev Offor told LEADERSHIP that some elders of the church had tried unsuccessfully to take him to his local government headquarters to obtain a letter of identification so they could open an account for him in any bank of his choice.? He explained that each time the elders came for him, he will not be found in the church premises.
Offor also stated that the church was about completing a two bed-room apartment for him in his village, and hoped that he would agree to leave the city for the village when he finally retires.
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