Nigerian man moves out of gully

Last October when THE STAR spoke with Nigeria-born Godwin Izevbekhai about his living conditions, he was moved to tears.

Yesterday, he cried again, but these were tears of joy. He is no longer living in the mosquito-infested gully in Daytona, Portmore, and is now able to make ends meet through the assistance of a Good Samaritan.

"A very good person had seen the article and came and rescued me and gave me a place to stay, so I have been living in Silverstone (also in Portmore) since January. It is the same community that I had got my heart broken, but when I was living there, me and the family was very good friends. So when they saw the article, the wife called her husband and tell him to come for me and he did, so I am there since and I am really appreciative," he said.

Izevbekhai's story was first highlighted in THE STAR on October 24, 2019. He said that he had lost everything after his 14-year relationship with a woman went sour and she kicked him out of their home in Portmore.

The 61-year-old had been living in deplorable conditions, moving from gully to gully, which had earned him the moniker 'Gully Supervisor'.

In addition to being plagued by mosquitoes, the chicken coop he was sleeping in would flood whenever it rained. He also did not have access to electricity or running water.

Izevbekhai said he keeps in contact with his Nigerian family, but for now he will continue to live here, as he is also a Jamaican citizen.

"As I speak to you now I am on the road in Two East, selling now in the rain. My van is up and running and I am selling my chemicals again. My story has been a miraculous one because the Samartians who helped me were my friends from long time. God has been good to me and I am living much better than I was for the past years," he said. "The person who gave me the place is someone that I had offered assistance to back in the past. I had three vehicles and had sold him a car for a small cost, so that's how God works. I really can't thank them enough. I didn't deserve what had happened to me, so God is fixing things now."