As he clocks 70 today, Chief Louis Izuchukwu Onwugbenu, Knight of Saint Gregory, Chairman of Louis Carter Group, multi-billionaire and philanthropist is a trail-blazer that God planted for a course. His philosophy is that with God, ‘impossibility’ does not exist and this inspired his life from birth to this moment.
Louis Carter was born on the sacred day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on 15th August, 1953 to the Late Mr. Augustine and Mrs. Cecilia Onwugbenu of Ndi-Ojukwu village, Uruagu, Nnewi. The famous Irish priest and missionary, Rev. Fr. Louis Kettles, who was working in Nnewi at the time fortold a glorious future for the new born when he baptized him. The young Louis went to St. Philip’s (Ezeagaba) Nursery and Primary School, Okpunoeze, Uruagu Nnewi and St. John of the Cross Primary School, Egbo, Uruagu, Nnewi. He served masses as an altar boy under many Irish and indigenous priests.
His desire to reach the apex of his academics was truncated in his secondary school following the economic, political and social factors that followed the Nigerian Civil War in 1970. He then channeled his intelligence to another form of education prevalent in Igbo land at the time as an apprentice in the auto spare parts industry. His initial start-up capital was provided by his parents who were into red oil milling. Despite how meager this initial capital was, gradually but steadily, Louis worked hard and his business began to flourish and he expanded into other lines of trade that later metamorphosed into manufacturing, agriculture and real estate that is today a conglomerate, the Louis Carter Group.
On 21st October, 1978, Louis married his heartbeat, Pat, the daughter of Sir Anthony and Lady Roseline Ojukwu, who was then the Catechist of St. John of the Cross, Nnewi. The marriage is blessed with two boys, six girls and over 14 grandchildren.
At just under thirty, Sir Louis began showing signs of unparalleled philanthropy. He undertook one of the four endowment projects of the University Teaching Hospital for the then Anambra State University of Science and Technology (ASUTECH). The success orchestrated by the project spurred Louis on to more philanthropic acts. He has taken up providing for the needs of indigent families including settling hospital bills, adopting and providing scholarships up to tertiary levels for more than seven indigent parents with multiple births. He financed the training of many priests and religious men and women and built houses for the homeless. Every year on his birthday anniversary and 24th December, he gives out aids to indigent people.
To commemorate his 50th birthday celebration and 25th wedding anniversary, he built and handed over to the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi, the church building, Father’s house, Church Hall and Chapel of Adoration in memory of his late parents at St. Louis Catholic Church, Nnewi. The former St Bartholomew’s Parish was renamed St. Louis Parish at the instance of the then Catholic Bishop of Nnewi Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Hillary Odili Okeke, who got a clearance from the Catholic Pontiff just a few days to the dedication of the church building. Sir Louis also built muti-storey buildings for nursery, primary and secondary schools at the church premises, managed by the Nnewi Catholic Diocese.
On his 60th birthday celebration, He consolidated his philanthropic projects under the new LOUIS CARTER FOUNDATION. Louis also known as “Okpata Ozua Ora” Nnewi envisions an Ultra-modern University to bridge the educational gap in Nigerian Schools. He will establish the school with his foreign partners from Canada and United States of America.
Today, as he marks his 70th birthday anniversary, over 7000 children from all the Block Rosary Centers in the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi and seventy charity and destitute homes are billed to receive a treat at St. John of the Cross Catholic Church, Nnewi. Each of the Block Rosary groups and Charity homes will also go home with purses. There will be quiz and cultural competitions among the zones and various prizes will be won to encourage them because that was where he started out in life.
Sir Louis and family are even more grateful to God on this occasion of his 70th Birthday celebration after God gave them victory from the hands of the deadly Covid-19 Pandemic which hit the family on Good Friday, April 10, 2020.
Chief Sir Louis Izuchukwu Onwugbenu, Chairman Louis Carter Group, Ọkpata Ozua Ora Nnewi, still counts his blessings as a man “BORN TO WIN”.
WRITTEN BY EMEKA OBINNA
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