.TRANSFORMS NGWO PARK TO BEST HANGOUT IN COAL CITY
Lawrence Chukwuweike Okafor is a name that currently resounds around the Coal City and even beyond. Reason? Well, the native of Imezi-Owa in Ezeagu LGA of Enugu State has brought back the almost-lost social trend of the recreation park to Enugu with his re-awakening of Ngwo Park, with the entrance located along Bedewright Street in the Uwani suburb of the Enugu metropolis.
Some time ago, in the 70s and 80s, Ngwo Park was a well-known recreation centre, established in colonial times, and modernized by the Chief Jim Nwobodo-led NPP administration of the old Anambra State. It was a popular spot for football players and fans, and actually formed a nursery for such well-known players like Francis Okaro, Charlie Okonkwo, Emma Okocha, and his famous younger brother, Austin Jay-Jay Okocha. But, times changed and, with the passing on of subsequent governments, the once-pristine park degenerated into a place where muggers and other social miscreants converged. At a stage, some people used it as a farm!
But now, all that is in the past, thanks to the vision and sheer energy of Lawrence, an ESUT Engineering graduate, who is the first son of Prof. Richard and Dr. Mrs. Cecilia Okafor.
His outfit, Strata Concepts, following a rigorous bidding and screening period, was awarded the franchise to operate Ngwo Park for several years, by the Enugu State Tourism Board, the body which is statutorily empowered to administer parks and other such facilities in the state.
Ngwo Park sports lush greenery which naturally attracts whoever comes around and sees the place, and has led to the hosting of colourful weddings and other receptions in the park. Then, there is a full-sized football pitch, complete with standard goal-posts and nets, and a slightly smaller training field, similarly well-equipped. Small wonder that there has been a proliferation of teams which are turning up to play their games. Ngwo Park has a functional children’s section, with a see-saw, a slide, and swings, and plans are underway to install a kiddies’ swimming pool, and a lawn tennis court.
Internal structures include Ogbaja Ngwo Park, and the Sports Bar, which has an ITTF-rated table tennis board, net, and bats, and has turned the place into a mecca for table tennis aficionados. The park has successfully hosted two editions of their bi-annual Ngwo Park Table Tennis Championships, while the third edition is in the pipeline.
The Sports Bar also doubles, at least for now, as the home of the Uwani Sports Club, which was set up a few years ago, and now has many members. The USC plays regular football games every Saturday morning and Wednesday evening, after which some necessary unwinding takes place. It goes without saying that all sorts of edible delicacies and chilled drinks are served at Ngwo Park by dedicated staff.
Which is why the name of Lawrence Okafor rings a loud bell in the Coal City, and why folks are flocking to Ngwo Park to see the sights. Law was educated at the elite College of the Immaculate Conception, Enugu, before proceeding to the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, where he read Electrical/Electronic Engineering. After his National Youth Service Corps programme in Edo State, the native of Imezi-Owa in Ezeagu LGA of Enugu State registered Strata Concepts Limited, and had carried out several engineering projects in the country before getting the Ngwo Park franchise. Right now, the park offers a wide range of lovely green space for all types of high society events, and for personal and group relaxation within a largely natural environment.
Lawrence, the first of the three sons of Ogbueshi Ugobelunaoji, Prof. Richard and Dr. Mrs. Cecilia Okafor, belongs to the Council of Registered Engineers of Nigeria, COREN, and is also a member of the Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria, ISPON. A devout Catholic, he is the Grand Patron of the influential Uwani Sports Club, and likes to read, when he can find the time! Law is happily married to Ijeoma, a federal civil servant, in a union which is blessed with two sons, Chukwubeze and Edozie, and a daughter, Kamsiyochukwu.
Law is married to Ijeoma, a federal civil servant, and has two sons and a daughter.
