The Board of Directors of Odu’a Investment Company Limited and a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Good Governance Initiative, have disagreed on the state of affairs in the company.
The board, in a statement, said all is well with the firm, but the NGO said the owner-states must probe it to ascertain the true state of things.
In a statement by its Executive Director, AbdulFattah AbdulSallam Liberty, Good Governance Initiative said there was an urgent need for Southwest governors to investigate allegations against the firm’s management.
The NGO said a publication by a former chairman of the company “revealed that all is not well with the corporation in terms of administration and even business performances”.
It added: “Odu’a may be at the receiving end at the end of the imbroglio because no sane investor would want to invest his money or even buy shares of the company that is portrayed the way Odua’a is in the publication.
“We, therefore, appeal to the governors of the owner-states not to allow Odu’a’s heritage to go down the drain by investigating the allegations so as to bring sanity into the corporation.”
The NGO urged the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to invoke Sections 314 to 330 of CAMA, which statutorily empower it to investigate the affairs of Odu’a with sole aim of determining whether or not it was being properly run.
But the firm’s board said its ex-chairman, Dr Isaac F. Akintade, was economical with the truth in the publication on which the NGO based its call for a probe.
The statement reads: “The Board of Odu’a hereby dissociates itself from the publication as it represents the personal views/submission of Chief Isaac Akintade who has ceased to be a member of the board with effect from March 22. The board of Odu’a is made up of experienced and responsible members who are committed to directing the affairs of the company in line with international best practices, corporate governance principles and the provisions of Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990.
“The allegations of Chief Akintade are unfounded, baseless and unjustifiable, as the issues referred to in the publication are unverifiable allegations, distortion of facts and a calculated attempt to discredit the board, particularly the person of the Group Managing Director. The issues were deliberated upon at board meetings chaired by Chief Akintade and collective decisions were taken in the best interest of the group.
“The board would not and did not condone any infringement on corporate governance principles. The board was not involved in any fraudulent practice, misappropriation or deceit of shareholders. The board is committed to repositioning the Odu’a Group and introducing new businesses that would bring the Odu’a Group out of the stagnation of the past and return to profitability.”
“In the interest of our organisation, we would not join issues with Chief Akintade on the pages of newspapers. Response to all his wild allegations has been sent to our shareholders and critical stakeholders.
“The public is hereby advised to discountenance the advertorial of Chief Akintade and be assured that our conglomerate, Odu’a Investment Company Limited is on the right track to recovery as the engine room for economic development of Southwest Nigeria.”
Tag: NGO
-
Odu’a Investment, NGO differ on firm’s condition
-
NGO decries neglect of mentally challenged persons
A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Initiative for the Support, Care and Rehabilitation of the Mentally Ill Destitute (INSCREMID), has appealed that mentally challenged persons in the society should not be neglected.
INSCREMID Founder Dr George Eze said this during the donation of materials worth N500,000 to patients of the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital (ESUTH), Neuropsychiatric Clinic, Emene, Enugu.
The items donated include neuropsychiatric drugs, a television set, dozens of clothing and foot-wear.
There was also free medical check-up for all the inmates.
Eze said: “We thank God that these people are under the protection of this home; but it is not enough.
“That is why we set-up this NGO – INSCREMID; we want to give them an identity and take care of them.
“We urge Nigerians to support us to do it, so that we can take care of their needs and medication,’’ he said.
Eze, who is a consultant at the Neuropsychiatric Department of ESUTH, said that mental illness was curable with modern science. Mental illness is curable. What kills most mentally challenged people is not their immediate mental challenge.
“Rather, it is other health illness that is not treated due to the neglect of such people in the first instance.”
Eze, who was also a former Commissioner for Health in Enugu State, said that everyone had to contend with one or two medical challenges in life.
He appealed to Nigerians to stop stigmatising and ridiculing mentally challenged persons.
In his response, Dr Godwin Onyebuke, Head of the ESUTH Neuropsychiatric Clinic, commended INSCREMID for its continuous care for the patiens.
“I will assure you that the materials will be used judiciously,’’ Onyebuke said. -
Governors’ wives partner NGO to fight cancer
The wives of governors with project focusing on cancer awareness, prevention and treatment are to partner the Roche Foundation in reducing the rate of death arising from cancer scourge.
This decision was reached at the maiden meeting held at the Oyo State Liaison Office in Lagos State.
The convener of the “Wives of Governors Against Cancer” and wife of Niger State Governor, Dr Aminat Abubakar, while addressing reporters after a closed door meeting with wives of governors and non-government organisations (NGOs), said the meeting was convened to chart a course and map out strategy to combat cancer and reduce its prevalence.
Abubakar said the purpose of the meeting was to lend their voices to the fight against cancer and raise awareness by partnering NGOs who are on the front line in the battle against cancer.
The wife of the Oyo State governor, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, who is the host, said she is committed to seeing that mortality rates, as a result of cancer, are reduced.
She lamented the rate at which people have lost their lives because they could not access basic health care.
The meeting was attended by wives of governors of Oyo State, Mrs Florence Ajimobi; Cross River, Dr Linda Ayade; Niger, Dr Aminat Abubakar and Kwara, Mrs Omolewa Ahmed.
Representatives from Roche Foundation, ABC Foundation and Asi Ukpo International Oncology Centre also attended. -
Female genital mutilation: NGOs seek end to the cutting tradition
Despite efforts by the Federal Government, the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other stakeholders in ensuring that female genital mutilation is eradicated, the trend continues to thrive in some Southwestern states of Nigeria, writes JEREMIAH OKE.
Bothered about the prevailing cases of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Nigeria, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Onelife Initiative for Human Development (OIHD), has urged the federal and state governments to ensure proper enforcement of the existing laws against the ignoble act.
Quoting the World Health Organisation (WHO), the NGO described female genital mutilation as all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons, adding that it is recognised as a violation against human rights of women and girls.
The NGO also challenged the three tiers of government to wage ‘severe’ war against FGM so as to reduce the rate of hazards and violence against female children.
The Coordinator of OIHD, Mr. Sola Fagorusi, noted that the rate of FGM was alarming and called for more proactive efforts by the government to prevent the act.
He enjoined the Federal Government to enforce the existing laws promulgated against FGM at both medical and traditional centres.
According to him, proper punishments should henceforth be meted out to violators of the law. Regretting the increasing rate of FGM in some states despite sensitisation and awareness by different organisations, Fagorusi blamed the government for the high rate of the act.
Mr Fagorusi noted that in December 2012, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously voted to work for the elimination of FGM throughout the world because it usually affects the female gender, saying that despite all the efforts, many parents still engage in mutilating their female children.
The Southwest Report gathered that the practice of female genital mutilation still thrives as a result of some cultural beliefs of the people to the effect that female genital mutilation helps in preventing the would-be grown up lady from being promiscuous and to ensure that a woman remains a virgin until marriage.
However, some cultural fundamentalists also believe that it is part of the rituals ladies must go through to be considered as real women as it increases their sexual pleasure.
According to recent report by WHO, 100 million girls have been mutilated globally and 10 per cent of them are from Nigeria.
Also, a report by Onelife Initiative for Human Development, five states with the highest prevalence of female genital mutilation in Nigeria are Osun with 76.6 per cent of girl-child, Ekiti 72.3 per cent, Oyo 65.6 per cent; Ebonyi 74 per cent and Imo 68 per cent.
The act mostly prevalent in some Southwest states is being carried out by local practitioners called “Alabede or Oloola” which literally means a person who performs circumcision.
According to one of the prominent practitioners in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital who pleaded not to be named because of the sensitive nature of the issue, the business can only be inherited and practised by a male member of the family.
He said the trend will be difficult to eradicate in the family in particular and the society in general, no matter the threat and intimidation by government.
He said: “I am currently the head of this family and I can tell you it is real. Though government had said we should stop it, we cannot allow our female children to become subjects of ridicule in the society. No amount of threat or intimidation can stop us from performing circumcision on our female children.
“Let me tell you why it is very important. First, Yoruba people believe that if a female child refuses to accept circumcision, it will affect her when she is ready to give birth and that was why stillborn was rampant. The head of the infant must not touch the woman’s clitoris.
“Second, many underage are being molested as a result of their hot urge for sex. There is a little jam we normally remove from clitoris of the girl-child which is always responsible for probable tendency for promiscuity. We cannot allow our children to be subject of ridicule and abuse, which is the reason we cannot stop performing circumcision on our female children.
“I know the government must have noticed the cruel ways our brothers from the South-eastern part of the country are performing it and that was why government always kicks against it.
“For instance; in the South eastern part of Nigeria, they usually cut off the clitoris completely and as a result of that, the child may bleed to death if they could not manage it well. I guess that is why government is against female circumcision.”
However, government agencies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), lawyers and medical doctors have severally joined voices against this inhuman cultural belief.
The former Medical Director of Adeoyo State Hospital, Ring Road Ibadan Dr. Diran Olabisi said it is medically wrong to mutilate a girl-child.
He said there was no medical proof that those who are not mutilated could be promiscuous as speculated or believed by many people.
“No medical research proves that the girl-child should be mutilated,” he said.
Mr. Fagorusi, who has been advocating for total eradication of female genital mutilation practice in the country, revealed that no medical school in the universe is teaching how to mutilate the girl-child. As such, he said, people should consider it as violence against the female gender.
He stated this at a workshop organised to educate secondary school students, teachers and young parents on the risk of female genital mutilation. The event was held at the International Conference Centre of the University of Ibadan.
Speaking on the effects of this primordial cultural practice, he said: “Medical experts have conducted numerous researches that indicate that the horrifying practice results in great suffering for the female gender as they experience shock which may lead to death. It could also cause obstruction during labour resulting in difficulty in delivery.
It has psycho-social effect as well. That means a situation in which the woman has hard feelings about sexual relationship with her husband. This, often results in broken homes.”
Refuting the presumption that the girl-child would be promiscuous if she doesn’t undergo female genital mutilation, Fagorusi said: “Promiscuity has nothing to do with mutilation. We are talking about character and value system. If parents bring up their children properly, we won’t hold the clitoris or any part of the female body as reason for indulging in female genital mutilation.”
He also faulted the belief that if a child’s head touches the clitoris during delivery, the child will die.
“They also claim that it is part of our religions as instructed in the Qur’an and the Bible. We go out with clerics and Imams on our advocacy campaigns. No part of the Holy Books that says a female must be mutilated.”
On the claim that it is part of our cultural heritage, Fagorusi said: “Culture is dynamic and changes with civilisation. This is not to discountenance the quality and importance of culture but we are saying that in this particular instance, culture does not stand, especially when there is no medical verification.”
Contributing, Coordinator of Value Re-orientation and Community Enhancement, another non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Oshogbo Osun State, Ademola Adebisi said the trend is common in Yoruba land with 55 per cent in the Southwest and 45 per cent in the Southeast and South-south geo-political zones while the practice is almost extinct in the North.
Adebisi said many children have died in the course of carrying out genital mutilation, urging people to join voices against the inhuman act.
“It is the responsibility of everybody in the society to end female genital mutilation. The men should take it upon themselves and ladies should raise their voices against the callous act. The female gender cannot carry out wage war against the act alone. We need to support them. In Osun State, I approached a community where a woman told me she can’t be sure if any of their female children has not been mutilated. This is wrong,” he said.
Aderonke Ige, a lawyer said it is a crime to remove part of any child’s body.
Urging other states in Nigeria to emulate Oyo State in enacting a law prohibiting female genital mutilation, she said there is a constitutional provision for the girl-child to defend herself.
She said: “Under Violence against Women Prohibition (VAW) Law of Oyo State 2016, a person who carries out harmful traditional practices on another commits an offense and is liable, on conviction, to a term of imprisonment not exceeding four years or to a fine not exceeding N500,000 or both.
“The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, cap IV Section 34 (1) (a) of 1999 indicates that no person shall be subjected to torture, to inhuman or degrading treatment.”
-
NGO to reach 2 million farmers
An international non-governmental organization, Oxfam in Nigeria has said it plans to reach two million women to challenge gender discrimination and violence against women.
The organization said the plan is part of its vision 2020 to reach vulnerable groups.
It also said it would be supporting its partners to undertake strategic litigation, to build culture and history of enforcement of legal provisions, and enable women to see that the law translates into changes in their lives.
Coordinator of Policy, Research and Advocacy of the organization, Mr. Abdulazeez Musa disclosed this in Abuja at a program organized by Fresh and Young Brains Development Initiative in collaboration with Oxfam in Nigeria to conclude this year’s International Women’s Day Celebration, with the theme “Be Bold for Change.”
“In the coming years, as part of our vision 2020, we have resolved to build a 2 million strong community of women and men who challenge gender discrimination and violence against women and strengthening the capacity of human rights institutions and organizations to address gender issues.
“We will be working with all our allies to work towards the passage of the Gender and Equal Opportunity Bill (GEOB) and domesticate Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) bill in some States to ensuring comprehensive legislation and enforcement is in place to protect the rights of women,” he said.
The founder, Fresh and Young Brains Development Initiative, Barr. Nkiruka Nnamego, said the event tagged ‘Purple Hangout’ was basically about celebrating women, giving women a voice and then using the opportunity to talk about 10 per cent allocation in budget to agriculture.
She noted that the event brought together women across Nigeria; Farmers, Civil Societies, business women and other stakeholders from development partners, to deliberate about empowering women to take a bold step to create positive change in the society.
Nnamego stated: “We also have the #Beboldforchange petition that we expect everyone that comes here to actually sign, everybody would join in the global campaign supporting women empowerment.
“Small scale farmers need to benefit from what government is doing around agriculture. One of the best ways to do that is if government begin to give 10% of the annual budget on agriculture to small scale agriculture that is one way we will be sure that our producers who are small scale farmers who are most times women and young people can also benefit.
“#Beboldforchange is about women taking the leap of fate, not being seeing behind. Gone are the days women need to be seen and not heard, whatever it is you feel can empower you as a woman go along and do it. That is what we mean by #Beboldforchange, be bold to speak out, be bold to get involved in any profession that you think can help improve your life and that if your family.”
She revealed that her organization has trained farmers on agribusiness, climate smart agriculture, as well as giving softgrants to young people that are involved in agriculture. She said they have empowered more than 500 women.
-
NGO, residents worry over waterfront shanties
The efforts of the Lagos State government to upgrade or develop slums have received applause from concerned stakeholders. And as the state gets set to enter into its full mega city status, shanties or slums obviously have no place in its scheme.
However, the government’s bold effort may be inhibited given the new shanties emerging around some urban settlements along the state’s waterfront communities, especially in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of the state.
Worried by the developing trend, a civil society organisation, “Safe Habitat,” has drawn the attention of the public to the environmental menace being constituted by occupants of these shanties, especially the criminal attacks against residents of Lekki, Ikoyi, Victoria Island and others.
Besides, the group warns that given the security challenge facing the nation, the situation becomes more worrisome. For instance, at some point, the country’s security apparatus was said to have warned the public to be vigilant as Boko Haram fighters and their symphatisers were planning attacks on cities like Lagos, Rivers and Kwara states.
Safe Habitat is concerned that the rate at which aliens from neighbouring countries and criminals fleeing from other parts of the country are flocking to Lagos, and creating illegal settlements in some riverine communities across the state, calls for greater attention.
One factor that has been blamed for this influx is the dearth of artisans and masons in the Nigerians construction industry. This has led to developers resorting to engaging this category of workers from the neighbouring countries.
The group, which focuses on environmental safety, in a statement by its Executive Director, Ade Williams, said the earlier government and other stakeholders take decisive action against such settlements and shanties, the better for the environment, lawful residents and business development of the area and the state as a whole.
“We recall that some concerned residents of Eti Osa had written a petition complaining of the incessant harassment, nuisance and robbery perpetrated by the occupants of the shanties at Ebute-Ikate, Elegushi. Following that, the Ikate Elegushi Residents Association also wrote another petition to the Lagos State Task Force, Alausa, Ikeja, to further complain about the unwholesome activities of the occupants of the shanties in the same community,” Williams said.
The state government, perhaps in continuation of its urban renewal programme or acting on the petition by the Residents Association, had carried out the demolition of shanties and illegal structures, both in the Victoria Island and Ikoyi. Among the illegal settlements affected was a community earlier known as “Ebute-Ikate”, but later christened “Otodo-Gbame”, a name some associated with Togo or Benin Republic origin, when the illegal settlers came to the community.
A community leader, Chief Abdualhi Ajibola, explained that while the ‘settlers in the shanties’ have since gone to court, he is happy that the government has taken the best step by restoring sanity to the area.
He recalled that sometimes in September 2014, a fight broke out at the shanties at Ebute Ikate, Ikateland between rival groups of Delta/Eastern extraction on the one hand and their Egun counterpart.
An environmentalist, Tajudeen Osho, is worried that these settlers, mainly young and able bodied men, do not speak either English or pidgin, while some who speak Hausa may not really be people of northern extinction.
“But fact remains that they cohabit with Hausas, in the markets and Sabo areas. They come to Lagos in their hundreds on monthly if not weekly basis, without any means of accommodation, employment, or sustenance and within few weeks, many of them will be mixing freely in the neighbourhoods without anybody asking questions.
-
Patience Jonathan: Court to hear EFCC motion May 2
An FCT High Court in Lugbe has adjourned till May 2, hearing on a preliminary objection filed by the EFCC over the seized assets of former First Lady Patience Jonathan.
At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, the judge, Justice Angela Otaluka adjourned the matter following the submission of the EFCC Counsel, Mrs O. Diribe, that there was a motion before the court.
Diribe informed the court that the respondent, the EFCC had filed a preliminary objection to the suit in response to the earlier motion for enforcement of fundamental human right filed by the applicant.
The applicant is an NGO, the International Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Society.
According to Diribe, the applicant does not have any locus standi to file a suit on the matter, adding that the suit did not show any cause of action by the anti-corruption agency.
The NGO’s counsel, Mr Gabriel Egbule, had earlier prayed the court for an adjournment to enable his team study the preliminary objection and respond to it since it was just served.
According to Egbule, the basis for filling the suit is that the applicant believed that the former first lady is being unjustly prosecuted because of her political views.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NGO recently filed the suit on behalf of the former first lady.
The NGO alleged in the suit number CV/1027/17, illegal intimidation and harassment of the former first lady.
It is also seeking an order of perpetual injunction restraining the EFCC from further harassment and intimidation of the former first lady.
It is also seeking the court to compel the EFCC to pay the sum of N5 billion as compensation for violation of the fundamental human rights of Jonathan.
The NGO stated that the EFCC acted beyond its statutory powers when it embarked on the seizure of monies legitimately belonging to the former first lady.
-
NGO for women’s, girls’ empowerment unveiled
As a fall-out of global events commemorating the ‘International Women’s Day’, indigent women and girls in Nigeria now have a cause to smile. A new non-governmental organisation (NGO) has been established to ameliorate their sufferings.
The new non-governmental organisation known as Save Our Women and Girls Foundation (SOW & G) is the brainchild of writer, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Ambassador Unyime- Ivy King, a volunteer for the United Nations.
The unveiling of the organisation took place on March 10 at Oakwood Park Hotels, Lekki Lagos and attracted numerous people from various spheres of life.
The event, organised by her media and communication consultancy company, HTT Communications also marked the IWD with the theme “I Am the Change”, derived from the IWD’s global theme of “e Bold for Change”.
For many of the participants, it was an occasion when they came face-to-face with the reality of the current mass suffering in the country, especially among women and girls in impoverished communities. It was a time to be inspired for action.
Husband of the organiser, Mr. Ubon King, a businessman/motivational speaker and chairman of Protection Plus Services Limited, was also present to give support for his wife and encourage the women folk to keep dreaming and accomplishing, and lending helping hands to one another.
For Mrs. Unyime-Ivy, SOW & G was borne out of the need to serve as a structural support for work she has been doing informally for many years.
According to her, it is a not-for-profit organisation, which was incorporated late last year and is focused on creating social developmental awareness on issues that concern women and girls. It will focus on training, mentoring, educating and building the capacity of women and girls in Nigeria and also raising funds to support credible NGOs that are into gender advocacy, by deploying the method of crowd-funding and strategic partnerships, with a team of respectable men and women to oversee its activities.
Last year, over a 100 women received two-week training in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, via a project tagged Women Empowerment Skills Training (WEST). It was borne out of her belief that individuals must be the change they hope to see in our society. The Women and girls were empowered with soft skills in different areas such as catering, ankara bags/ankara accessories, soap making/house cleaning products, makeup/gele, and jewellery making.
As a result of the success of the pilot event, a lot of women and young girls were able to set up their own cottage businesses, which are still running today. Second and third editions of Project WEST are being planned for this year.
-
NGO sensitises Ibadan residents to good health
Population Media Centre (PMC), an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) that educates the people about the benefits of having small families, elevating the status of women and motivating behavioural change for prevention of HIV/AIDS among other activities has organised road shows that educate residents of Ibadan on how to achieve good living condition.
The organisation recently stormed major streets and markets in the Ibadan metropolis educating residents of the city on the effective use of family planning methods to help the people live better and move out of poverty.
The NGO noted that much could be achieved in terms of having happy family life if the lessons learned during advocacy carnival were carefully applied by the residents of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The ancient city was agog as hundreds of people who trooped out to receive the PMC team who stormed the city on a sensitisation road show of the popular Radio Drama “Jangala” (song of life) and “A Dade Ana Yi” (pit of lies).
From Agbeni Market to Oje Market, to Oja’ba to Beere and Bodija Market, many residents were enthusiastic about the message.
Other areas visited by the team included Ring Road, Challenge, Molete, Oke-Ado Market, Dugbe Market, Queen Cinema, Mokola, Sabo and Iyaganku.
The crowd comprising mainly women and children paid attention to the messages during the programme. They appreciated the message that urges them to plan for a better future.
Some market men and women left their shops for the venues to listen to the thrilling road show on family planning and accepted the kits distributed to them by the PMC officials.
While addressing the crowd, the Country Representative of the NGO, Mr Abom Ephraim Okon, said the organisation had used different methods to reach its target audience, including house to house visits, radio dramas and conferences to help people make informed choices on how to bring about stability of human population numbers at a level that can be sustained by the world’s natural resources.
While expressing satisfaction with the level of acceptance, Okon revealed that his organisation was deploying the serialised radio drama to promote several health-related issues about humankind and the environment.
He said: “Among the issues we are promoting are the family planning and reproductive health, environmental protection, gender equity, peace building and social cohesion.”
On the radio drama, Okon explained that many people were being thought the rudiments of safer and secure lifestyle.
Maintaining safer and secure lifestyle, he noted, has much to do with maternal and child health, nutrition, safe delivery and contraceptive options.
According to him, the radio drama has sensitised the people to the harmful effects of agricultural and cooking practices which accelerate deforestation, resilience building, pipeline sabotage and pollution. He described the radio drama as most effective tool in reaching the people.
He further explained that the organisation would not relent in its efforts to educate the people on the problems associated with non-education of the girl child, the harmful traditional practices such as early marriage and female genital mutilation, as well as the benefits of overcoming differences, conflict resolution and non-violence.
At the show, there were demonstrations on the effective way of using contraceptives for both male and female, and customised gift items from PMC given away to the public and winners of different competitions.
-
Orode Uduaghan focuses on NGO
Just a few months after the end of her marriage to Ryan Okpu, Orode Uduaghan has found a new love to lavish her attention on. But you are in for a rude shock if you think she has found solace in the arms of another man. The new or renewed love of Orode is her NGO, the Pink Pearl Foundation, which she actually established about eight years ago.
Faced with a choice between moving on or wallowing in self-pity after her four-year-old marriage crashed on grounds of ‘irreconcilable differences’, the dark-skinned daughter of former Delta State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, picked up the pieces of her life and threw herself into her pet project which aims to educate women about the dangers of breast and cervical cancer, two of the most common killers of women.
The Psychology graduate of the prestigious University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, has been making waves in recent times with her pet project. The foundation, which was established in memory of her late aunt, has emerged as one of the most relevant anti-cancer organisations in the country.