Olayinka Adijat Alayande was recently installed as the new chairman, Inner Wheel District 911 at an elaborate occasion in Lagos. Udemma Chukwuma reports.
History was made recently as guests and well-wishers gathered in the blue, white and yellow decorated Adeyemi Bero Hall, Alausa, Ikeja, to witness the installation of the new district chairman of Inner Wheel Club, Mrs Olayinka Adijat Ayanwale.
Ayanwale, who took over from the immediate past chairman, Mrs Nkiruka Josephine Ebo, was all smiles as she was called to the stage to take over the mantle as the newly elected 32nd chairman of Inner Wheel District 911, Nigeria.
Following her installation, she reeled out her administration’s plan for the eager audience, chief of which is vocational and skill acquisition training programmes, as well as empowerment for girls and women.
Said Ayanwale: “In the many years I have served as a member of Inner Wheel, I have been involved in various missions and projects. I have travelled far and wide, pursuing the cause of community service. During the course of these missions, two things have always been a source of concern to me – the level of poverty and unemployment amongst women and girls in our society. This is why my star project for Inner Wheel this year, Training and Empowerment; will be dedicated to these categories of women and girls.
She expressed her happiness at becoming the new district chairman and vouched that through her, help will be extended to school drop-outs from the club. “I believe strongly that this will contribute in no small way towards alleviating poverty and improving the standard of living across many households in our community.”
She urged people who do not belong to any social club to do so because “in a way, you will be able to contribute more to the society if you are in social club that are service-oriented.”
Present to witness the installation ceremony was the wife of former Lagos State Governor, Mrs Abimbola Fashola, Executive Vice Chairman, Channels Television, Mrs Olusola Toyin Momoh, former Senator, Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon, former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro and past President of Nigeria Institute of Management, Michael Olawale Cole amongst others.
The International Inner Wheel (IIW) club was founded 92 years ago by Margaret Golding, a nurse, business woman and wife of a Manchester Rotarian. Some of the aims and objectives of the club is to promote friendship, encourage the ideals of personal service and foster international understanding. Inner Wheel currently consists of over 3,895 clubs in 168 districts in 103 countries, with a total membership of over 103,000 worldwide. Its current international president is Charlotte De Vos, while the National Representative and president of Nigeria is Mrs Phebean Aduke Alade.
The club also presented appreciation awards to various media houses, including the Nation Newspaper.