A physically challenged woman (name withheld) has won a Venza car on the purchase of a raffle ticket at the Ogidi Building Materials International Market, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Jude Nwankwo, president general of the market, made the disclosure at the market’s 2025 end of year prayer on Saturday, saying the lucky woman, though not present at the event, was not the first to win a car in the market.
He said the woman, a cripple, came to the market to beg, stressing, “I don’t know how she got the money, but she won a car in the raffle draw.
“This year, 2025, more than 50 people have won cars. It is just that she is a crippled woman that hers’ became special.
“For the two tenures (8 years) and one year as caretaker, making my stay nine years, people have won more than 300 cars in this market and we design the programme to assist people.
“Just like in our land estate programme, we have enriched most of our members. The estate programme is designed also in such a way that non-members purchase a plot of land at N1.5million while members purchase at N1million.
“So, if a member brings non-member to buy land, that N500,000 that makes it N1.5million automatically gets to the member that brings the person, and in so doing some members bring as many non-members as possible, thereby making their millions,” he stated.
Nwankwo, who was the former treasurer of the market for eight years expressed satisfaction that his administration was able to enrich most of the traders who are presently landlords, car and shop owners.
“The market women are not left out; I bought plots of land for the women and presented them with bags of rice and cash to celebrate the Yuletide.
“After my second tenure, the traders wanted me to continue but I have told them that after serving as the caretaker committee head which I have stayed for one year now, that I will not return as elected chairman, that others should be given opportunity to serve.
“Today, peace has been restored in the market and the opposition have embraced peace. Having seen what I achieved. During our crisis time there was no place we did not get to, courts, different police formations, military facilities, among others over power tussle.”
Enumerating his achievements, Nwankwo said: “We have 4,250 plots of land at Ukwulu, Awkuzu and Nando-Awkuzu areas of the state; 350 given out and more than N1billion given out to members through estate revenue generation
“To mark the end of this year, N500,000 was shared to 50 indigent people, excluding the amount of money I personally gave out.
“What we realized from raffle draw, N350,000, I added my personal money and gave out to more of the needy,” he further explained.
He prayed God to continue to bless the traders of the market, disclosing that with their estate arrangement, most of them are already rich.
According to him, presently, double estates have been acquired at Ogbunike plus two more.
“We encouraged our traders to invest in landed property than buying goods in dollars and selling with profits in naira, anything can happen, you suddenly become poor. Even one government policy can also change things and you become poorer overnight,” Nwankwo noted.
