Religious leaders and over 200 beneficiaries of his philanthropy, especially indigent members of the society recently offered prayers offered to God for High Chief O.B. Lulu-Briggs, his wife, Sienye and his family at an event to mark Mrs Lulu-Briggs’ 56th birthday celebration in Port Harcourt the Rivers state capital.
Pastor Dagogo Ejie, in his prayer said, “May God lift up His countenance upon Him (his family), make His face shine upon him, prepare a place for him in His presence, in the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.”
For her part, a blind old woman, Mama Evelyn Goodhead said, “I pray the Almighty God who has given them the responsibility to take care of the very less privileged of the society like me, to keep them, give them long life, grant them more blessings enlarge their coasts, give them more wisdom and understanding.
“Whosoever that will raise any eyebrow on them in anyway or say they shall not prosper, do well or stay alive to enjoy the fruits of their labour, or even to continue to help the poor of the society, may the Lord forgive such a person and grant him/her change of heart in the name of Jesus Christ,” Goodhead said.
The beneficiaries of the couple’s gesture are mostly septuagenarian and octogenarian; frail men and women citizens of Nigeria, who have lost their means of livelihood to age, frailty and other age-related chronic health condition (blindness, high blood pressure) among others and have no close dependable relative to shoulder their daily need burdens.
They are carried along in all that the Lulu-Briggs family does, just like their own children and family members. They are given holistic care including clothing, feeding, medical and monthly allowances. In some cases, they are provided with comfortable houses.
Speaking on the celebrant, Mama Goodhead explained, “Mrs. Sienye O. B. lulu-Briggs, is so nice to me, the aged in the society and the whole world, the widows, the less privileged of the society. This can be attested by the crowd that has come to grace this event.
“She is a mother indeed and her husband also is a father to reckon with any day and time. They take care of us – the helpless ones of the society so much. From the time I was enrolled into the “Care For Life” November last year, no month has passed without me receiving food, ingredients for soup (assorted fish, including stock fish), toiletries, provision among others as well as allowance for my upkeep.
“I mysteriously became blind five years ago. I used to deal in fabrics, raw gold, coral beads and big George wrappers after the death of my husband years ago. I was doing very well in the business before the sudden eye problem that defiled all forms of medication.
“I have nobody to assist me anywhere, aside this family. My only daughter that that was carrying the burden is no more, I have male children though but they are not well to do. Until Mrs. Sienye and husband adopted me, life was though for me.
“Anybody of goodwill and appreciations knows that High Chief O. B. Lulu-Briggs and family are really doing the work of God, because the bible says that he that gives to the poor lends to God, and that is exactly what they are doing and little to know why God has continued to bless them.” She stated.
Her assessment was not different from those of other beneficiaries spoke to our reporter. They maintained that their adoption by the family was one of the best things that has ever happened to them and thanked God on behalf of others in their communities.
Apart from the elders, members of staff of the Foundation also spoke of their Boss. The Foundation’s Director of programmes, Miebaka Niemebu, a lawyer lauded the celebrant and what the Foundation has been doing in its 13 years of service.
He said, “Over 30,000 persons have benefited from our free medical outreaches in rural communities. Our “Care For Life” (CFL), programme where we take care of the elderly ones of Rivers and Bayelsa states is doing very well. We intend to also bring in those of Akwa-Ibom state.
“Our “Assess to Clean water” programme which involves water purification in communities that have difficulties assessing clean water for consumption is also doing well. We are also strategizing to expand our programmes. We are looking at bringing in cases like HIV/AIDS, maternal care as well as entrepreneurship among others.
He provided further insight on the Foundation’s focus when he said, “We have directed health care programmes such as the free medical outreach where we organize resources and capacities and take them to core rural areas where health care delivery is either nil or very poor. We don’t organize such programmes in the urban communities; we are not also a Foundation that takes care of those in the streets.
“We have programmes for the elderly poor persons, rural communities where there are little or no health facilities, where it is difficult to access tablets as simple as analgesics. Those are the communities we take our free medical programmes to bring them succour and hope to live on.
“We also have our scholarship, women empowerment and entrepreneurship programmes; we don’t do programmes for youths at the moment. We are constructing sets of modern toilet system and quarters for inmates of Port Harcourt prison. The project is up to 99 per cent completion and would be soon be commissioned for use.”
At the church service earlier, the officiating Pastor Amaechi Dumen in his sermon entitled “God helps those who help the helpless”, outlined the benefits to include, replacement (reward), perfection, deliverance, assurance of eternal life, God’s Mercy among others and encouraged the family to continue in the good work and members of the public to learn to affect lives positively in other for them to harvest its abundance benefits.
