The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Lions Club

  • New president for Ikoyi Lions Club

    New president for Ikoyi Lions Club

    A registered Town Planner with Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mrs. Soledotun Titilope Abdulkarim-Yusuf, has been appointed the President of Ikoyi Lions Club.

    She joined the club in 2007 and held various positions such as Tail Twister, Treasurer, Director and First Vice-President.

    She has attended both national and international conventions such as the Ilorin 2007, Germany 2013, Canada 2014, Ibadan 2015, Asaba 2016 and Ilorin 2017.

    On the focus of her tenure, Mrs. Abdulkarim-Yusuf said she is focused on leveraging Lions Club’s unique global network to serve the less-privileged with an emphasis on strong execution and the highest ethical standards.

    She said:  ”In line with the wish of the International Lions Club President  Dr. Naresh Aggarwal, I intend to use the power of ‘We’, power of ‘action’ and the power of ‘service’ to accomplish enhanced quality membership, good leadership and new framework of services to our communities.

    “Furthermore, in line with the District Governor (D-G) 404A 1 High Chief Dr. Olusola Dada’s theme: “New Partnership in Service”, I intend to enlist the co-operation and collaboration of corporate entities and network individuals in my immediate communities to execute the approved club projects for the Lions Year July 2017-June 2018.”

    She attended the Ogun State University for her B.Sc. in Geography and Regional Planning, the University of Lagos for Master’s in Transport Planning and Management (MTPM) and the Lagos State University for her Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning.

    Mrs. Abdulkarim-Yusuf is a Chartered member, Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) and a member of Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) and a Registered Town Planner (RTP).

    She has interest in planning and organising as well as telling human-angle stories. It is this passion that brought her into Lions Club.

    She is happily married and has children.

    However, the Ikoyi Lions Club was the brainchild of Lion Oye Williams, who was its Charter President.

    It was at the 1988 International Convention that Lion Oye Williams decided that since the Board of Directors of the Lions Club International had given the approval for females to become members, the females in Nigeria should render service to humanity through Lionism. Previously, they had served as Lionesses, which was a service programme of the Lions Clubs.

    She had been the first Lioness District President and knew all the active Lionesses in the district.

  • Lions Club offers free eye screening, glasses to pupils

    Lions Club offers free eye screening, glasses to pupils

    Teachers and pupils of Iganmode Junior Grammar School and Ijako Local Primary School in Ogun State were in a joyous mood penultimate weekend when they received free eye screening and glasses from the Region 6 of District 404-B1, Nigeria, International Association of Lions Club.

    The club’s medical team screened the pupils for vision problems and ensured that they got help. Pupils with critical eye problems were referred to optometrists.

    The gesture was part of the activities to celebrate the 2016/2017 District Governor Alhaji  Waheed Kadiri’s visit to Region 6.

    Besides, the club donated a two-unit modern toilet facility to St James Primary School in Ota, a 3.5KVA generating set to General Hospital in Ota, planted trees at Ota Local Government and distributed books and writing materials to school pupils of Ado/Odo-Ota and Ifo local governments and as well as inaugurated the newly renovated Gateway Bus-Stop.

    Kadiri said the most common conditions among the pupils were eye allergies, refractive errors and glaucoma.

    He said the screening was aimed at helping the pupils detect their eye problems early to prevent blindness, restore eyesight and improve their eye health. He noted that eye caring for many people was part of Lions’ humanitarian services.

    He said school-age children might have an eye problem,and  if untreated, could result in blindness, adding that such problems could be fixed, if they are detected early.

    He said the club had made available medication and spectacles that pupils whose conditions required spectacles and those with critical conditions had been referred to optometric hospitals.

    Kadiri urged the public to take good care of their sight, saying eyes are the window to the body.

    Alhaja Fatima Kadiri said the screening would enable the doctors to detect any optical challenges among pupils, adding that if such problems were detected early, they would be easily treated.

    She said the majority of the pupils with eye problems did not have time to discuss it with their parents before it became worst, saying some parents might have no financial muscle to treat it even if the children told them.

    Alhaja Kadiri said Lions Club International mandated the screening as one of its agenda of for the year.

    She appealed to parents to study their wards to detect the ailment and treat it before it escalated.

     

  • Lions Club backs clean environment

    Lions Club backs clean environment

    TO ensure a clean environment on Lagos Mainland, Lions Club has erected four sign posts bearing “Clean Nigeria” in four communities.
    The unveiling of the Clean Nigeria signposts in Alagomeji, Yaba, Abule Oja, and Jibowu Roundabout brought together members of the club.
    The Second Vice President of the club District, Governor Dupe Dada, said the erection of the signposts was to create awareness and advocacy on clean environment and sanitation in Lagos State.
    She said that it was evident that parts of Lagos are dirty and this has health implications for the people, stating that all stakeholder must play their part in making the state not only peaceful but safe to live in.
    “We are committed to a clean environment and we are working with the local governments and other relevant stakeholders in Lagos State to make it a reality”, she said.
    She noted that Lions Club was celebrating its centinnial and “we are working on the common goal of serving 100 million people through our pro-people programmes.”
    She added that the four cardinal areas of Lions Club include feeding the hungry, youth empowerment, sight and clean and healthy environment which are germane for national growth and development.

  • Lions Club lifts Makoko

    Lions Club lifts Makoko

    MAKOKO community in Yaba, Lagos came alive recently when Lions Club of Yaba inaugurated some projects in the place peopled mainly by the Hausa-Fulani.
    The club’s President, Phina Origo, listed the projects as a block of eight toilets and bathrooms, water borehole and a 2.5-KVA generator, which cost over N2million.
    On why the group embarked on the projects, she said: ‘’When we came here to feed the people, we found that everywhere was littered with debris and human faeces and decided on these projects to make the environment good and clean for human living. I want to thank those who helped me to get these projects done.’’
    The District 2B Governor of Lions Club International, Taiwo Adewunmi, thanked Origo and her team for a job well done. He said: ‘’I can confirm that the Lagos Mainland is doing wonderfully well,’’ adding: ‘’As we are working to make this place better, our lives will also be better. These projects are part of our legacy projects for our centennial celebration. It is a privilege to be here. In the next 100 years, many of us will not be here. Lions have done a lot in this place. We have been coming here. This is an opportunity for you to join Lions Club.’’
    The community’s Secretary-General, Mohammed Baba said: ‘’We thank Lions Club. We have been getting help from them. We have also been getting help from the government, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and others. But we want more help. We want to our drainage, toilets renovated.’’

  • ‘Lions Club is about service to humanity’

    ‘Lions Club is about service to humanity’

    Centennial President of Ado Metropolitan Lions Club, Asiwaju Oyedeji Olajubu, sheds light on the activities of the international club, which he says borders more on the humanitarian. He spoke with Taiwo Alimi.

    WHAT is Lions Club all about? 

    Lions Club is a humanitarian organisation formed about 100 years ago by an insurance broker, who in dining and wining with his fellow men, looked at the monies being spent on enjoyment and decided they could be used to benefit the less-privileged. So they formed the Lions Club in Chicago, USA. What we do basically is help the less-privileged in all the areas of need. Lions club has a membership of about 1.42million people spread over 209 countries in the world. We are the only NGO that has a permanent seat in the United Nations. In fact, we helped in forming the charter of UN. When tsunami happened in South America, we were the first to get there to give aids. When we experienced flooding in Lokoja here, we were among the first group of organisations that came there to provide aids. We have been in the fore-front of providing better eyesight. About 27 years after Lions Club was formed, Helen Keller challenged members to be the light of the blind and we have done so much in that area. We have done operations for cataracts, provided free eye glasses, done eye tests. Even my club, Ado Metropolitan Lions Club did a sight programme in the year. We went to Ido Ekiti, where we gave free glasses to 300 people. We did test for over 600 people. We hope that in the years to come, we can help them undergo cataract operation.

    This year is our centenary; that is our 100th year in existence. And we have four areas of challenge: we have the sight issue, empowering the youth, feeding the hungry and improving our environment. In all these four core areas, there are so many places here in Nigeria and abroad where we have touched lives. Being a lion is a way of life, whereby you have the spirit of giving. When each people bring N1 it becomes N10 and it is used to help the less-privileged. It is not the kind of money that government people embezzle. We also engage in legacy project, which will last for a long time.

    How well has Lions Club touched the lives of the less-privileged in Nigeria?

    Lions Club came to Nigeria in the early ’60s; and we have multiple districts in Nigeria. A district is formed by many clubs and there are places where two nations come together to form a district. In Nigeria, we have four districts and my own district is 404. Every year, we come together in a convention and this year’s own is holding in Ilorin tagged ‘Harmony ’17,’ come the month of May. Each district is divided into regions and regions into zones. Under the zones, we have clubs. We have close to 6000 strong members in Nigeria.

    As Centennial President of Ado Metropolitan, what has the club done for your immediate environment? 

    The year 2016/2017 was eventful for us and we have lifted Ekiti Lions Metropolitan out of the doldrums. We have successfully executed all the four areas of challenge that we have this year. We have even done legacy projects. We started by empowering the youths. We went to two schools and donated writing materials, exercise books, reading books, biro, mathematical sets etc. In August of 2016, we were able to empower 48 barbers by donating tools of their work to them from barbing kits to generators.

    During our empowerment programme, we found that a particular school lacked classrooms; we met with the BOG, took a decision, raised money and completed a block of two classrooms and library for them, all fully furnished and modern. The name of the school is Ado Community Grammar School Nursery/Primary in Isan, Odo Ado area.

    We also fed the hungry. We provided and packaged raw food materials to over 800 people of Ido Ekiti in November 2016. That day, a woman said to us, M children will eat rice this Christmas.’ At first, they thought we were a political group, but when we told them that we are looking for neither votes nor money but just to assist, they became more receptive.

    We were able to sink two motorised boreholes for a community. This community got water in 1976, but because government could not run the dam near them again, the taps dried up. And they went back to the stream. Lions Club visited the place, did the major assessment and sank the boreholes with overhead tanks. It was completed and commissioned in January.  Now, they no longer go to the stream.

    This March, we also planted trees in primary schools because that is where they can nurture the trees. These trees would help provide shades and help the environment.

    We also believe in training people, education. Because in Lionism, we say a trained Lion is better than an untrained one. So also a trained human being is better that one that is not trained. That is why we do a lot in the areas of education.

    How do you raise fund?

    Fund raising is an act. (If) You have many friends, all you have to do is explain what you want to use the money for and they would be willing to help. Then, accountability is very important. If what they give you is accounted for, then they would be willing to give more.

    We also task ourselves. We do cocktail and sell our ideas and appreciate them at Appreciation Night.  However, we are careful in bringing in members because we don’t want people who will tarnish our image. We value integrity of Lions, so we research intending members before making them full members.

  • Lions Club donates borehole, generator to school

    As part of activities to mark Lions Clubs International 100 year’s celebration, its District 404 B2 donated 1,200 liter water tanks, 5KVA generating set and First Aid Box with drugs to St Saviours’ Anglican Primary School I and II in Ijoko, Ogun State. The club’s region 7 and Ijoko district also planted trees in the school.

    The 404-B2 District Governor, Taiwo Adewunmi, while commissioning the project urged political leaders, individuals and captains of industries to emulate the spirit of giving back to the society.

    He said it would go a long way in eliminating poverty in the country.

    Speaking on the project, tagged: ‘Legacy Projects’ Adewunmi said, the gesture was to reduce the stress the pupils undergo to get potable water.

    “The pupils cross the road in search for pure water and this is dangerous for them in terms of safety,” he said.

    He said the  project  was also to fulfill the Club’s obligation to make the country a better place for the less privileged by feeding the hungry, empowering women and youths, providing health /vision screenings  and an enabling environment for a better and happier society.

    He appealed to the club members to continue to embark on legacy project and make a great impact on humanitarian services.

    The Schools’ Head teacher, Mrs Alamutu Oyebimpe, thanked all the members of the Club for the gesture, noting that water is an essential commodity for them.

    She said the borehole would prevent the pupils from crossing the express road in search for drinking water.

  • 250 benefit from Lions Club’s free health programme

    No fewer than 250 residents of Ogun State, including school pupils, benefited from the free health screening and eye check-up, organised by Ota Diamond Lions Club Ogun State.

    The event took place at Ishaka Community and Local Government Primary School, Ijako in Ado-Odo Ota Local Government Area.

    Apart from the screening, some members of the community were given free eyeglasses and drugs. There were six medical practitioners, led by Lion (Dr). Jolaoluwa Opaleye who attended to all the people that showed up for the exercise.

    The programme, according to the President, Lion Sandra Adesola Gbadebo, was aimed at fulfilling the humanitarian services which is characteristic of Lions Club internationally.

    It was organised as part of the Club’s four centennial service challenge campaigns: “Support youths in community, preventing future cases of unnecessary blindness through vision screening and educational events, relieving hunger through the improvement of access to health for vulnerable populations in the community and environmental protection to make members of the communities healthier.”

    An excited beneficiary, Mrs Adijat Bankole, who got a reading eyeglass, thanked God for the free eye programme, which she said she had been looking out for.

    Another beneficiary, Mr Rufus Adeola, who expressed his happiness for receiving medical attention free, said he had been finding it difficult to read, as he often strained his eyes while reading; a situation he said results in water dripping from his eyes.

    Adeola said with the help of the lens he received, he could read without straining his eyes.

    He called on the leaders, social groups; corporate organisations and individuals to emulate the club in touching the lives of the people. Through this, he said, the society would be free from poverty and illiteracy.

    Dr. Opaleye advised the beneficiaries to regularly check their health status. She said it wasn’t advisable for someone to wait until he or she was weighed down by sickness before he or she visits the hospital.

    “Regular check-up can help to improve health. If you get regular check-ups, your doctor may find a problem before it becomes a real issue,” she said.

  • Lions Club gets female president

    Lions Club gets female president

    It was a joyous moment at Bezer Hall and Hotel, Sango-Ota, Ogun State penultimate weekend when family members, friends and well-wishers gathered to witness the induction of Lion Sandra Adesola Gbadebo as the 16th President and second female office holder of Ota Diamond Lions Club.

    She will pilot the affairs of the club for the 2016-2017 Lions Year.

    Royal fathers, captains of industry, politicians and members of Lions Club came from far and near to felicitate with the new president and members of her executive.

    The carnival-like event was also a platform for the induction of new members and to raise funds for execution of various community projects.

    The ceremony commenced with a call to order by the outgone President, Lion Jamiu Abayomi Etiko.

    Lion Etiko highlighted some of the Clubs’ achievements for the year 2015-2016 as blood donation/save a life programme. He said the club carried out the programme in collaboration with Cadbury Plc and Lagos State Ministry of Health, in which over 30 members of the Club voluntarily donated blood just to help patients in times of need, retreat and training, diabetics awareness campaign, screening and treatment of ailments for members of the communities.

    Lion Etiko said the club also distributed foods, clothing and other relief materials to members of some communities on Christmas Day, last year.

    Other projects were environmental protection programme, engaging in youth projects where books and other writing materials were given out to students, sharing the vision; the club participated in the sight preservation and screening exercise to prevent members of the communities from contacting eye-related diseases, among others.

    Lion Etiko appealed to members to support the new president to enable her to have a successful tenure.

    Giving her acceptance speech shortly after her installation and decoration as the new president, Lion Gbadebo said she accepted to serve the club with humility, transparency and accountability.

    She solicited support of members of the club, well-meaning individuals and corporate organisations to support the club’s vision of humanitarian services.

    She said supports would enable her to complete the ongoing construction of the entrepreneurship development centre.

    She pledged to sustain the spirit of the club and maintain high level of integrity and good conscience in conducting its affairs.

  • Lions Club gets president

    For members of Lions Club worldwide, this year is a memorable one. It is 100 years old this year.

    While other members of the ‘service’ organisation are warming up for the centennial anniversary, it would appear those at Ikeja have begun celebrating already. They inducted their ‘centennial’ President, Augustine Obafemi Ladipo, a graduate of Computer Engineering from the Lagos State University (LASU).

    At the ceremony, which held at Quadosh Place on Kudirat Abiola Way (former Oregun Road) in Ikeja, members of the association wore cream-coloured clothe–which the men sewn into a native agbada and traditional pair of trousers in which they appeared resplendent.

    The outgoing President Gbolahan Ayantayo, who beat the Lions’ traditional gong ‘to call the house to order’ or begin the event, at 3:59 p.m., also ironically ended his tenure.

    As 36th president of the club, he said his tenure was a rewarding one which witnessed donation of material items to Khadijat Al-Kubra Widowhood and Orphanage Foundation and students of Dairy Farm Skills Acquisition Programme and providing a member with a barbing salon and a 3.5KVA power generating set, among others.

    It was for these he emerged among the top 10 presidents in District 404B-2 Nigeria. Specifically, he praised Valentine Opone, Second Vice-President, Mark Ebare, a former president and Femi Olaiya, a former secretary, among others. He gave them awards for their excellent performances.

    Olaiya, the Chairman of the Investiture Committee, said the 34-year-old Ikeja Club began from a humble beginning, noting that the event had another objective; which is to raise funds for some projects for which he urged all to donate generously.

    Alhaji AdulGaniyu Adediji, who chaired the event, described the ceremony as historical, noting that the club had produced more district governors (DGs) and presidents than others in the district.

    The world over, triple A, as Adediji is fondly called by his admirers, said the club serves 100 million less-privileged people. He solicited support for the club’s budget of N10 million for the year.

    In his goodwill message, the D-G Samuel Taiwo Adewunmi described the Ikeja Lions Club as the oldest in the district. He also canvassed support for its progammes for the year.

    “A single act of service,’’ the Deacon in the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) said, “can change a life but when Lions come together to serve, we change the world.’’

    Adewunmi, who swore in Ladipo, urged him to serve selflessly.

    Ladipo, 48, and 37th President, promised to uphold Adewunmi’s theme for the year that is ‘’Sustaining our Legacy of Service’’ and that of the International President’s motto, New Mountains to Climb. He explained that each mountain represented an opportunity to serve. He gave a breakdown of his budget as follows: free eye screening and donations to public primary schools, youth empowerment scheme to some vocational training centres, planting of over 100 trees, construction and equipping of e-library for two secondary schools.

  • Lions Club gets DG

    Lions Club gets DG

    A Fellow of the Nigeria Institute of Town Planner, Mr. Waheed Ayinla Kadiri, has been elected as the District Governor, International Association of Lions Clubs, District 404B1 Nigeria.

    He was a rector of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta and ex-national president of Association of Town Planning Consultants of Nigeria.

    Kadiri is the chairman of the African Planning Association of Nigeria.

    A statement by the Chairman, Publicity Committee, District 404B1, Nigeria, Edwin Abubokha, said the new DG would be presented to the public by the Multiple Council chairperson, MD404 Nigeria, on August 20.