The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Rotary International

  • Rotary to assist Nigeria meet WHO Polio-free certification

    Rotary International has reassured Nigerians of its commitment to support the country in ending polio infection in Nigeria and secure World health Organistion (WHO) Polio-free certification by 2019.

    Dr Tunji Funsho of Rotary International District 9110, Nigeria and Chairman, Rotary Nigeria PolioPlus Committee, gave the assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt.
    Rotary International District 9110, Nigeria, covers all Rotary Clubs in Lagos and Ogun States.

    Funsho spoke with NAN on the sidelines of the visit of Rotary International PolioPlus Committee Chair, Michael McGovern to Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

    He said that as part of efforts to combat polio, the club was collaborating with the Nigerian Medical Corps to ensure that children in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Camps across the North-East were adequately immunised.

    “You may recall that Nigeria was on the verge of being certified Polio-free by the WHO but this was truncated following the return of four infected children who as a result of insurgency in the North-East were not duly immunised.

    “Our most recent strategy to combating the disease is by getting the Nigerian military to assist us to immunise children in IDP camps.

    “We are making efforts to ensure that the Nigerian Medical Corps takes up immunisation exercise to those areas we may not be able to cover due to our peculiar security challenges,’’ he said.

    Funsho said that though most parts of the western world were already free from polio over two decades ago, they have remained committed to contributing funds and technical support to end the epidemic in other parts of the world.

    “Recently, the U.K. government has provided 100 million Pounds sterling to enhance global fight against polio.

    “The same with other governments, European Union, Canada and even the Nigerian government.

    “ Here in Nigeria, the Federal Government has also provided 95 million dollars to combat the disease.

    “I think Nigeria saw its last polio case last year and so I’m hopeful that in the next two years we shall be certified a polio-free country,’’ he said.

    The chairman said that the club in partnership with WHO, UNICEF and community development bodies would remain focused on ensuring that no child was paralysed by polio.

    Funsho added that the club in an effort to end polio was also setting up robust structures to tackle other childhood diseases.

    NAN reports that Rotarians have helped to immunise more than 2.5 billion children against polio in 122 countries.

    Nigeria is one of the remaining three countries where polio is still present though Aug. 24 will make it one year since the country reported any new case of polio.

    It is for this reason that the International PolioPlus Committee Chair Rotarian McGovern is on an advocacy visit and while in Nigeria, he will meet with the Government of Nigeria.

    He will also assess the levels of polio immunisation implementation and will meet with Rotarians and PolioPlus team members as well as visit IDP camps and tour polio projects in Lagos, Abuja and Maidugiri.

  • Rotary committed to assisting Nigeria meet WHO Polio-free certification in 2019

    Rotary committed to assisting Nigeria meet WHO Polio-free certification in 2019

    Rotary International has reassured Nigerians of its commitment to support the country in ending polio infection in Nigeria and secure World health Organistion (WHO) Polio-free certification by 2019.

    Dr Tunji Funsho of Rotary International District 9110, Nigeria and Chairman, Rotary Nigeria PolioPlus Committee, gave the assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt.

    Rotary International District 9110, Nigeria, covers all Rotary Clubs in Lagos and Ogun States.

    Funsho spoke with NAN on the sidelines of the visit of Rotary International PolioPlus Committee Chair, Michael McGovern to Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

    He said that as part of efforts to combat polio, the club was collaborating with the Nigerian Medical Corps to ensure that children in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Camps across the North-East were adequately immunised.

    “You may recall that Nigeria was on the verge of being certified Polio-free by the WHO but this was truncated following the return of four infected children who as a result of insurgency in the North-East were not duly immunised.

    “Our most recent strategy to combating the disease is by getting the Nigerian military to assist us to immunise children in IDP camps.

    “We are making efforts to ensure that the Nigerian Medical Corps takes up immunisation exercise to those areas we may not be able to cover due to our peculiar security challenges,’’ he said.

    Funsho said that though most parts of the western world were already free from polio over two decades ago, they have remained committed to contributing funds and technical support to end the epidemic in other parts of the world.

    “Recently, the U.K. government has provided 100 million Pounds sterling to enhance global fight against polio.

    “The same with other governments, European Union, Canada and even the Nigerian government.

    “Here in Nigeria, the Federal Government has also provided 95 million dollars to combat the disease.

    “I think Nigeria saw its last polio case last year and so I’m hopeful that in the next two years we shall be certified a polio-free country,’’ he said.

    The chairman said that the club in partnership with WHO, UNICEF and community development bodies would remain focused on ensuring that no child was paralysed by polio.

    Funsho added that the club in an effort to end polio was also setting up robust structures to tackle other childhood diseases.

    NAN reports that Rotarians have helped to immunise more than 2.5 billion children against polio in 122 countries.

    Nigeria is one of the remaining three countries where polio is still present though Aug. 24 will make it one year since the country reported any new case of polio.

    It is for this reason that the International PolioPlus Committee Chair Rotarian McGovern is on an advocacy visit and while in Nigeria, he will meet with the Government of Nigeria.

    He will also assess the levels of polio immunisation implementation and will meet with Rotarians and PolioPlus team members as well as visit IDP camps and tour polio projects in Lagos, Abuja and Maidugiri.

  • Home coming as Rotary DG visits Gbagada South Club

    Home coming as Rotary DG visits Gbagada South Club

    It was a home-coming trip when District 9110 Governor (DG) of Rotary International Dr Adewale Ogubadejo visited his club – Gbagada South penultimate Thursday. There were a lot of backslappings and handshakes as members received one of their own who had just been inaugurated as the number one man in the district.

    Welcoming the DG, the club’s President Ademola Olutusin said they were glad to see him. He noted that the DG started from the club in 2003 and became its president four years later. He said their club had become a pacesetter and a force to reckon with, adding that by Ogunbadejo’s meteoric rise in Rotary, he had brought glory to the global association and the club. Hard work, determination and commitment, he said, were the ingredients of success in the club.

    The DG was welcomed at Oworonshoki Primary School Complex by its Head Instructor Ms Maria Johnson Udoidung and pupils. She said Rotary officials were visiting the school for the third time in three year. She said Rotary had always donated some computers and their accessories during each visit, gestures that were commended by the government. Ogunbadejo said they were in the school again to make some donations, which he listed assets of computers, tables and chairs. He praised for maintaining the ones earlier given to them, advising them to do so.

    The Ogunbadejo and the club members visited the Oworonshoki Police Division, Alaketu of Ketu,  Oba Adio Isiaka Oyero, and Ketu Health Centre, where the club made some donations.

    At Ketu, Olutusin said they were in Ketu  to present some materials to the  Health Centre, adding that they could not have done so without paying home to the  monarch, who is a member of the association. The club donated a generator, mosquito nets and other items to the centre.  Oba Oyero said he was pleased to receive Ogunbadejo and his entourage in his palace. He thanked them for identifying with an institution in his domain, saying that the items would boost health care delivery in the area. He noted the good work of the club.

    The club rounded the visit by hosting the DG to a dinner.

  • We will take culture to schools, communities – Rotary

    We will take culture to schools, communities – Rotary

    Rotary International, District 9110, Nigeria, on Thursday said it was planning to take Nigeria’s culture to schools and communities to strengthen moral values.

    Rotary’s Past Assistant Governor (PAG) and culture promoter, Mr Ayo Olumoko, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the step would help to correct some erroneous beliefs about the culture.

    Olumoko spoke on the sidelines of the maiden Rotary Culture and Tourism Day with the theme: “Promoting and Celebrating Nigeria’s Culture, Hospitality and Tourism through Rotary’s Diversity’’.

    According to Olumoko, communicating in indigenous languages is sometimes misunderstood as exhibition of illiteracy.

    He said that this and some other misunderstood practices needed to be corrected.

    Olumoko told NAN that the organisation deemed it necessary to propagate the culture due to reluctance of some Nigerians to embrace their culture.

    “We intend to enlighten students and communities on the importance of embracing and our culture to boost tourism.

    “We have started in this assignment with the maiden cultural extravaganza,’’ he said.

    Olumoko, also, the organiser of annual Osun Osogbo Festival, said that Rotary International existed in over 100 communities in Lagos State, and gave the assurance that the communities would benefit from the programme.

    He added that the organisation would ensure that its newly introduced culture and hospitality unit would impact meaningfully on the Nigerian society.

    “Rotary international has been into humanitarian services for years, and worked in various communities.

    “We have made a lot of impact in the area of polio eradication, distribution of mosquito nets to curb malaria, provision of potable water, among  others,’’ he said.

  • Uyo tragedy: Rotary donates blood to victims

    Uyo tragedy: Rotary donates blood to victims

    The Assistant Governor, Rotary International District 9140, Mr Akan Emah, on Wednesday said his members had donated blood to victims of last Saturday’s church building collapse in Uyo.

    Emah told journalists in Uyo that the donation was in line with the Rotarians’ commitment to their motto, “Service Above Self”.

    He appealed to all well-meaning individuals in the state and beyond to donate blood, as the victims were still in need of blood for quick recovery.

     

    He said that the District Governor, Akabom Enebong, and the entire Rotarians sympathised with Gov. Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom on the unfortunate incident.

    According to him, Rotarians also commiserate with families that lost their loved ones in the Reigners Bible Church building collapse.

    The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA),  through its State Chairman, Dr Aniekeme Uwah, had appealed to people to donate blood for the injured who were recuperating in different hospitals across the state.

    Members of the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly had donated N3 million to the state government to assist in the medical bills of in the incident.

    Scores lost their lives when the Reigners Bible Church building collapsed on Saturday while the founder, Apostle Akan Weeks, was to be consecrated a bishop.

  • Rotary, Cycology raise awareness on polio with bike-a-thon

    To commemorate the World Polio Day on October 24 and create awareness on the deadly polio responsible for scores of child mortality cases, Rotary International in Nigeria has concluded plans to host the nation’s first-ever Bike-A-Thon ride on October 19.

    The event is a cycling ride designed to generate interest, increase awareness and raise funds for activities towards total eradication of polio disease, which is endemic in Nigeria, especially in the North.

    Nigeria remains one of the three most polio-endemic countries globally, alongside Afghanistan and Pakistan.

    According to Dr Tunji Funsho, Chairman, Nigeria National Polio Plus Committee, “Rotary has committed itself to join forces with other partners to champion the efforts to eradicate polio in Nigeria. It is therefore partnering with Cycology, a foremost cycling club in Lagos for this year’s campaign and aims to draw attention of policy makers and everyone to this important issue. It will also strive to raise funds to contribute to the $500million required for the eradication of polio in Nigeria alone.

    Prominent personalities and other Nigerians from all walks of life, including Rotary Polio Ambassador, Nollywood actress Funke Akindele will join global figures in the likes of Bill Gates, Desmond Tutu, Isabella Fontana, Donnie Yen, Jackie Chan and others in creating awareness for polio.

    Dr Funsho said: “The programme is billed to kick off 7a.m around the Lekki axis in Lagos and will feature registered participants, including Rotary club members, Cycology riding club members and others in a 5km, 10km and 50km exhibition ride aimed at tackling polio disease. It will also feature a variety of activities including cycling stunts, colourful displays and other physical demonstrations.”

  • Rotary stresses commitment to polio eradication

    Rotary stresses commitment to polio eradication

    ROTARY International has stressed the need for all tiers of government to commit funding towards the eradication of polio across the country.

    District Governor Rotarian Olugbenga Olowu mooted this idea at a public forum in Lagos recently.

    According to Olowu, the fight against polio has remained one of the major assignments embarked upon by Rotary International over the years in its commitment towards ensuring a polio-free society.

    Echoing similar sentiments, Rotarian Tunji Funsho Vice Chairman said, efforts by Rotary International is already yielding fruits.

    He said polio was the only disease that could be eradicated, adding that after the pilot project commenced in 1985, the process was about eradicating polio from the world.

    He, however, noted that the funds expended so far comes from respective donors abroad and that just recently, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation had given $1.3billion in the fight towards eradication of the polio, through massive immunisation, among others.

    Expatiating, Funsho said Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan were the only countries where the polio scourge was still endemic.

    He said 98% of the funds spent on the eradication of polio is from donors abroad. He urged the Federal Government, corporate bodies to come together and help in eradicating the polio disease, adding that it was a national and worldwide problem, which means the campaign against polio, should continue.

    The chairman of the planning committee, Rotarian Yemi Oshilaja said they were planning something big in the country ahead of the World Polio Day, which comes up in October.

    Part of activities to mark the day, according to Oshilaja includes cycling to raise funds among others, with banks, telecos as potential sponsors.

  • Chrone Group donates $250,000 to Rotary

    The Executive Vice Chairman of Chrome Group, an integrated oil and gas conglomerate, Sir Emeka Offor, has contributed $250,000 to Rotary International in support of the humanitarian group’s global programme in peace studies and conflict resolution.

    According to a statement from Rotary International, the gift will endow fellowships to the Rotary Peace Centre at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand.

    The programme each year offers a three-month professional development certificate in peace and conflict studies to up to 50 mid-level professionals from related fields, such as public health, education, international law, economic development, journalism, and social justice. Preference will be given to qualified applicants from Nigeria and other African countries, it added.

    The other five Rotary Centres for International Studies offer one-to-two year graduate level programmes on the campuses of leading universities in Australia, England, Japan, Sweden, and the United States.

    “My hope is that the fellows who benefit from this gift will not only use it to sharpen and enhance their academic and professional skills in peace studies, but also use what they learn and internalise to become practitioners – drum majors – for peace, reconciliation, and development,” said Offor, who is Executive Vice Chairman of the Chrome Group, an oil and gas service conglomerate. He also heads the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation, which focuses on poverty alleviation through literacy and education programmes in poor communities.

    “In West Africa, we have witnessed the destructive, heart-wrenching, and deadly effects that communal, sectarian, and political conflict and violence have on innocent people,” Offor, a member of the Rotary Club of Awka G.R. A., said, adding: “We should never give in to the notion that world peace is unattainable.”

    Commenting, Rotary Foundation Chair Wilfrid Wilkinson, said: “We are extremely grateful for Sir Emeka Offor’s generous gift recognising our commitment to equip a network of world leaders with the skills to resolve and prevent conflict and bring about sustainable peace. Thanks to such strong support, nearly 700 Peace Centre alumni are applying lessons learned and best practices in key decision-making positions across the globe.”

    Rotary clubs have long embraced the call for peace at the grassroots level by addressing the underlying causes of conflict and violence, such as hunger, poverty, disease, and illiteracy. Ten years ago, the international humanitarian organisation of service clubs decided to take a direct approach to world understanding by providing future leaders with the tools they need to “wage peace” on the global stage.

    In addition to the certificate programme in Thailand, Rotary clubs yearly sponsor up to 60 scholars for one to two years of study to earn master’s-level degrees at the Rotary Centres for International Studies at Uppsala University, Sweden; University of Bradford, England; University of Queensland, Australia; International Christian University, Japan; and Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States.

    Offor also supports Rotary’s effort to eradicate the crippling disease polio, the organisation’s top priority as a spearheading member of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Nigeria is one of only three countries where the wild poliovirus has never been stopped. The other polio endemic countries are Afghanistan and Pakistan. When the initiative began, polio infected about 350,000 children a year, compared with fewer than 700 for all of 2011, a case reduction of more than 99 per cent.