The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Rotary Club

  • Rotary Club honours provost

    The  Rotary Club of Enugu has honoured Provost of Federal College of Agriculture in Isiagu Prof Justina Uzoma.

    It organised a special event for Uzoma, who is a member of the club, at New Haven Hostel.

    Tony Egbunonu, the club chairman, eulogised the honoree, describing her as an uncommon achiever. Egbunonu described the Provost as a “woman of substance and a distinguished Nigerian” in the field of Agriculture.

    A member said: “Prof Uzoma is a focused and articulate university teacher, who has distinguished herself and showed the world her good attributes. The fact that she defeated men in the race for Provost attests to her excellence. I have no fear that she will transform the college.”

    Mr Dadson Jon-Nwakalo, a member of the club in Maryland, United States, described the honoree as a woman of impeccable dignity, substance and mentor.

    Responding, Prof Uzoma thanked the club for the honour. She narrated how her experience as chairperson of ESUT Matriculation and Convocation Board aided her appointment. She promised to run an open-door policy and rapid infrastructural development  the college.

    In attendance were Udi Local Government chairman, Prince Nwoyo and Prof Pius Eze, among others.

  • Rotary Club gives Smart canes to blind

    Rotary Club gives Smart canes to blind

    The Rotary Club of Lagos Palmgrove Estate, Lagos Mainland has flagged off the distribution Smart canes to the blind. The club’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Ravindra Kamat, said it takes pleasure in inaugurating the special project in empowering the blind community by providing them with the Smart canes.

    He said: “This is the first time Smart canes are being donated in Nigeria and we are happy to be the ones to take up this initiative towards supporting the blind community. Smart cane is a battery operated cane, which vibrates on sensing any obstacle, thus assisting the navigation and guiding of the blind.  As a club we have decided to donate 100 smart canes and the flag off to the first set was given to members of the Nigerian association for the blind at Ojuelegba. The project is a gesture from our club in honour of our Past President, Rotarian Naran Bhai Patel, on receiving a National Honours. By the support of the members and the community we do plan to continue to drive this as a major project done every year.”

    The Smart canes, according to him, cost more than $1,000. “We have the blind in mind and so far, 18,000 eyes have been operated on, and in order not to ignore those whose eyes cannot be operated on, who had been confirmed blind, Smartcane is given to them to aid their movement,” he said.

    Mrs Nike Abdul Azeez, who spoke on behalf of the District 9100 Governor, Bamidele Balogun, said the Smartcanes are devices that will allow the blind live independent lives and in carrying out the normal things of life.

    The club, according to Kamat, also distributed artificial limbs, adding that, the club always distributes free artificial limbs every first Saturday of the month and about fifty of such artificial limbs have been distributed. He said: “Those with artificial limbs also come weekly for maintenance.” According to him, the cost of a limb is 250,000 naira, but it is done freely to help people.

    A beneficiary of the limb, who identified herself as Rose Ominiyi from Benue State, said  she knew what it took to live without a limb and with the acquisition of an artificial limb, courtesy of the club, she would be able to pick any job to help herself, “because it is giving me a new lease of life. I am no longer limiting myself. And once I have the financial capability, I, too will like to help people with similar problems”.

    Kamat said the next project by the club is the completion of “Rotary Eye Hospital”. According to him, it is a N300million project. The site is located at Airport road. He said doctors would be brought from India to work permanently at the hospital to serve the public.

  • Rotary Club celebrates

    Rotary Club celebrates

    The Rotary Club of Oregun, a Lagos suburb, has began activities to mark its 30th anniversary and 110th year of Rotary International.

    The club’s president, Kingsley Ibhade, said there will be a Health Day in partnership with Mecure Healthcare for the people in the community.

    A borehole project donated to the community will be inaugurated tomorrow. Stationeries and books will be donated to the Oregun Senior High School.

    There will be a Road Safety Talk on Friday for National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) members at the Ojota Park.

    The club will also donate food stuff, toiletries and clothes to Ozanam Home for orphans and displaced youths in Ikeja.

  • Polio survivours Walk-a-Thon

    Polio survivours Walk-a-Thon

    Members of Rotary 9110 and Polio survivors during a Walk-a-Thon in Surulere, Lagos, in commemoration of this year's World Polio Day. Photo: Nneka Nwaneri
    Members of Rotary 9110 and Polio survivors during a Walk-a-Thon in Surulere, Lagos, in commemoration of this year’s World Polio Day.
    Photo: Nneka Nwaneri
  • Delta Rotary Club walks for polio eradication

    Delta Rotary Club walks for polio eradication

    The Zone 10 of Rotary Club in Delta State last weekend staged a Peace Walk as part of its ‘Kick-Out Polio’ campaign in Warri and other towns in the zone.

    The walk, which started at the Angle Park, went from Ogunu road, through the Airport Road to Peggy Hotel in the Oil City. It was led by the Assistant Governor, Zone 10, Mr Oak Ebere and President of Warri Rotary Club, Rotarian Bawo Oteri and dozens of other members of the club.

    Speaking with Niger Delta Report on the significance of the exercise, Oteri said Nigeria and two other countries – Afghanistan and Pakistan – are the only three countries in the world where there is still polio.

    “In Nigeria, about 99 per cent success has been recorded in the fight to eradicate polio. The significance of the Peace Walk is to create more awareness about polio and to encourage people to fight it until total eradication is achieved.

    “We also want to use the opportunity to charge stakeholders in the health sector, parents and everybody to lay more emphasis on polio eradication. It doesn’t take much to eradicate, just a simple and dedicated adherence to immunisation procedure is all that is required,” Oteri added.

    He said the exercise comprised members of the club in Warri, Effurun GRA, Ubeji, Ekpan and Orerokpe, which makes up the Zone 10 of District 9140.

    Speaking in the same vein, the Assistant Governor, Zone 10, Mr Oak Ebere, revealed that the exercise happened simultaneously in all the zones in the District 9140, comprising 11 states in the Southsouth and Southeast zones.

    “We are telling people of the effect of polio on children but if they are immunised with vaccines at the appropriate time, they will not be affected. That is the message. So, parents should ensure that their children are immunised to safeguard their future from polio.”

  • Prosthesis for the handicapped

    The Rotary Club of Lagos PalmGrove Estate is set to provide 75 people with artificial hands (limbs). This was announced by the club as part of the free services it will provide during the 2014 and 2015 Rotary year. About 20, 000 people are targeted by the club for different services, ranging from health; education; vocational trainings; water and environment to education/empowerment.

    Interested members of public can go to the Secretariat, the Indian Community Association (ICA); 1, D’Alberto Road, Palmgrove Estate, and ask for Dr John. Or contact the Chair, Publicity and Coordinator, Ravindra Kamat on 08066818277 or send email to: info@gargishasolutions.com

    The club won eight awards for 2013 to 2014 Rotary year, from Rotary District 9110 and Rotary International, for exemplary service project carried out by it for the betterment and upliftment of the community. The awards are: Appreciation service award; Public Relation award; Significant club projects award; Best club award; Appreciation award; Most supportive president award; Presidential citation award and Rotary Club Central Award 2013 and 2014.

    According to the out-going President, Mr V.N Jajoo, the provision of the upper arm had been on the club’s agenda but logistics including the age and growth of the (potential) beneficiaries, affected arm, materials to be used for the artificial arm and other reasons hindered the accomplishment of that plan.

    The new president, Rotn Ramesh Biswal, said “we have gotten a foreign expert and the right materials to work with in producing the artificial arms. 75 people is our target and thereafter, we will increase the number.”

    The president said the club is set to sponsor about 100 deserving students, “we intend to focus on a blend of skill required for IT based vocations for the developing economy such as Mobile phone repairs; Telecom tower maintenance; computer aided design and drafts men; electrical equipment maintenance; electrical Motor Rewinding; Generator Maintenance (Electrical and Mechanical). We are looking to sponsor 100 deserving students for these courses.”

    He said his club got those eight awards because it donated free artificial limbs to the under privileged who had lost the ability to move due to the loss of a lower limb. “The club donated artificial limbs to more than 46, 000 beneficiaries since inception; it conducted free eye care camps and cataract surgeries for our needy friends from Abeokuta and Lagos. More than 16, 000 beneficiaries regained their eye-sight during these camps.

  • Club rescues detained nursing mothers

    The Rotary Club of Festac town Lagos offset the bill of 4 nursing mothers, who were indebted after deliveries at the Maternal and Child Centre, Festac Town, Lagos.

    The  women were spotted by the Rotarians during a tour of the wards.  Many of them sat helplessly, having being detained for two weeks or more after delivery, a gesture which costed the club 120,000 naira.

    The club also presented items for the centre. Items such as 50 bedsheets, 50 mosquito nets and 7 baby cribs were among other things. The women accepted the gestures with joy and wild jubilations in their wards. It came as a surprise to many of them. Others just wondered in bewilderment.

    The Maternal and Child centre  monthly delivers an average of 110 babies, said the Chief Matron, Mrs .Gbemisola Moradeyo, who led in the tour.

    President of the Rotary Club of Festac, Gabriel Onyema, said the club’s mission is to aleviate the problems and suffering of the people. He gave the cost of the donated items to be 985 thousand naira. This, he said was made possible by its individual members donation, together with well meaning people and United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), which provided them with 2000 nets which will be distributed to women and children.

    He wondered why residents dont patronise the outfit, which he descibed as one with state of the art facilities. The president also noted that the Rotary is partnering with government to make life better for the people.

    “The scenery here is a happy one with lots of decorum. People are ignorant of the facilities I see , so I wonder why they wouldnt come for their deliveries here.”

    The high point of the visit was the presentation of a 3 minutes old baby, who the club members showered with gifts, money and prayers.

    Medical Director of the centre, Dr Ademuyiwa Eniayewun, said the gesture is a welcome development and called on others to emulate the club in its humanitarian works.

    The visit, the MD noted, is not only about the material and financial benefits, but goes a long way in giving the patients psychological and moral support.

    He boasted of the centre having the best facilities for pregnant and sick children, which will go a long way in reducing maternity and child mortality.

    In the next few weeks, the club will present the centre with incubators and other needed equipments.

  • Rotary donates eye equipment to Ogun

    Ogun State government has received eye equipment, such as keratometer and A-scan from the Indo-Eye care Foundation and Rotary Club International District 9110.

    Receiving the items in Abeokuta, the state’s capital, Commissioner for Health, Dr Olaokun Soyinka praised the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) for  their partnership with the state.

    According to him, people with are eye problem will benefit from the gesture.

    He said: “When patients are screened, those who require surgery are brought to the State Hospital, Ijaiye, Abeokuta for restoration.”

    Soyinka said another project set up with the partnership between government and the two NGOs is the “artificial limb service project that has been on for the last three years and a section of the State hospital has been converted to an artificial limb service centre”.

  • Rotary donates ICT centre to community school

    Rotary donates ICT centre to community school

    The Rotary Club of Omole Golden has donated a fully equipped Information Communication Technology (ICT) laboratory centre to Oke-Ira Senior Secondary School, Ogba, Lagos State.

    The project was commissioned by the Deputy Director of Basic Studies in the Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mr Abiodun Oni, who represented the Commissioner of Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye.

    Oni said:” I want to thank all members of this great club not only for the gesture but for being good partners in the development of education in Lagos State.I also want to urge the school management not to disallow students from making use of the facilities provided in the ICT centre, but instead ensure proper monitoring of how it would be put to use.”

    President of the club, Mr. Chris Alabi, explained that the club would sustain the facility for one year before handing it over to the state government.

    “We have spent part of our limited resources to set up this facility and we believe that it will be put to proper use in empowering students and even teachers with ICT skills. In addition, we will maintain the center for one year including the internet facility after which it would be handed over to the Lagos State Ministry of Education for its further sustenance.”

    Earlier, an induction exercise for new members of the club was performed by the The District Governor of Rotary District 9110, Dr. Dele Balogun, lauded members of the club for donating the ICT centre and urged new members of the club to imbibe the four-way test of Rotary Club in the development of the larger society.

    Certificates were later presented to some teachers in Lagos public schools who were recently sponsored to a training programme by the club while some members were also honoured with awards for their financial assistance to the club in carrying out some of its charity projects.

    The chairman of the Parents’ Forum, Prince Adebola Adeniji-Adele, promised “to work in concert with the authorities of the school to protect the facility and ensure proper utilization of equipment toward promotion of skills development of students.”

  • Rotary lifts the less-privileged

    Rotary lifts the less-privileged

    The Rotary Club of Ogba in Lagos has presented food items to the Pacelli School for the Blind and Partially Sighted Children as well as Modupe Cole Memorial Child and Treatment Home School, Akoka, Lagos.
    The presentation was made in conjunction with Flour Mills Nigeria Plc, makers of Golden Penny pastas.
    Its President, Samson Omodara, said the club was committed to lifting the needy.
    The Pacelli School’s Protocol Officer, Rev Sis Mariam-Therese Inegbu, lauded the gesture.
    She added: “The ‘Daily Miracle’ makes them feel loved as some of them are orphans. We  equip them with morals and daily living skills.”