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Tag: ROTARY

  • Rotary scores self high in polio eradication

    Rotary International District 9110 has scored itself high in its national anti-polio programmes, saying it has won the battle against the deadly disease by over 95 per cent.

    Its Nigeria National PolioPlus Committee (NNPPC) Chairman, Dr Tunji Funsho spoke in Lagos while listing the activities of the committee.

    Funsho, a medic, said since the anti-polio drive began in the late 1970s, Rotary had not derailed in its commitment to wiping out the disease. He said it was because  of their effort that Nigeria was deleted from the list of endemic countries last year, leaving two – Afghanistan and Pakistan worldwide.

    “So far,” he declared, ‘’we are on track.’’ For example, he said the last case of polio was reported in Lagos six years ago. ‘’When we started in 1987, there were 2,500 cases, but now we have eight. I think that was a huge drop,’’ he said.

    Funsho praised Rotary members for their contributions to polio eradication. He also praised the Federal Government for committing $90million to fighting the disease in this year’s budget, up by $30million of last year’s figures and providing security for Rotary’s medical team.

    Specifically, the NNPC chair praised President Muhammadu Buhari, who administered a vaccine to his grandchild, and attended a anti-polio campaign in his home town Daura, noting that these added a boost to the programme in the North to enable the people know that the vaccines are harmless, contrary to their views. Besides, he said Buhari deserved a pat on the back for expanding the Presidential taskforce on polio to include governors to ensure that they replicate what happens at the federal level in their states.

    Funsho warned that though the last case of polio was recorded on July 24, last year, Nigeria still has a year and three months to go to hit the golden year for the country to be declared free of polio, to meet the Polio Eradication and Endgame Strategic Plan (2013 -2018).

    He said there was, therefore, the need to up the ante in the anti-polio drive, asking for more support for the programme. He listed some of its challenges as inadequate finance, poor coverage in some states and councils,  weak immunisation infrastructure.

    Funsho announced the switch over from the trivalent oral polio vaccines (OPVs) to bivalent oral polio vaccine (bopV), and that a total of 156 countries, including Nigeria and India would be affected by the transition, which started last month.

  • Rotary donates borehole to Lagos community

    Rotary donates borehole to Lagos community

    It was prayer answered for residents of four communities-Olusanya, Papa Uku, Agbajowo and Ifesowapo Community Development Association (CDA), in Fanimokun area of Agege Local Government Area when they took delivery of a borehole donated by the Rotary Club of Agege.

    The communities, located around Ipaja Road in the Agege suburb, had been living under acute shortage of potable water over the last two decades, with children and nursing mothers, running the risk of being knocked down by reckless motorcyclists or motorists as they move about busy roads, scouting for water in the adjoining neighbourhood.

    Handing over the borehole to the Baale-elect of the community, before a crowd of dignitaries among who were the past District Governor for D9110, Dr. Dele Balogun, the Baale-elect Taiwo Oke, and other

    community leaders, the President of the club, Mr Kolawole Ojelabi said the project was borne out of a needs assessment conducted by the club for residents of the area.

    He said: “When I was coming in as the President of the club, I carried out the assessment of the needs of the people of this area. In this particular community, it was discovered that water is a very critical issue. Incidentally, as we were rounding off our assessment, I witnessed a kid carrying water that was hit by an okada as she made to cross the road into this community. That confirmed to me that this project is a must, to give relief to these people and put a stop to avoidable loss of life while looking for this essential commodity.”

    He described the project as one of the six focal areas of Rotary International, under water and sanitation, adding that the club couldn’t embark on the second leg, which is sanitation, because it was usually school-focused.

    He said the borehole, which is about 165 feet deep, was partly funded by District Grant and contributions from members of Rotary Club of Agege. He said the project was located in front of the Baale’s house in order to ensure that the community would take ownership of the project, maintain it and to ensure that there is regular supply of electricity with which to pump the water.

    He assured that the club will always be available to maintain the borehole, even as he urged the community to set up a community corps to monitor all Rotary projects in the community.

    “The next phase of the project is to provide a generator with which to power the borehole so that people would not lack water anytime there is electricity outage in the area.”

    The former District Governor Balogun said the club had been active in so many public schools and other public institutions in the area, pledging that more infrastructure would be donated to the communities if proper care is taken of the water project.

    “We promise that if they take very good care of this water project, many more projects would come to other communities around here,” Balogun said.

    A community leader Bishop Julius Babatunde Olusanya commended Rotary Club of Agege for bringing such a laudable project to the area, adding that the project will, no doubt, serve millions of residents living in the

    area.

    He assured that the community will take care of the project and ensure that it is preserved even for generations unborn.

    The Chairman of the CDA, Alfa Ayodele Ayuba, popularly called Baba Sala, who spearheaded the location of the project in the area, commended the club for a promise fulfilled. He said the community will not forget the gesture as it would put a stop to their frustration concerning water.

    “We know how much we spend on water in these communities and to now think that we can get water free. It is unimaginable. We are very happy, may the Lord continue to keep all members of the club who made this dream possible,” Ayuba said.

    Another community leader, Mr Sola Lawal Tijani said: “We are happy that Rotary Club of Agege could give us life in this community, because water is life. We have been mounting pressures on politicians who used to come here to campaign to give us water. But look at a club that has come to provide water for us with no strings attached.

    The Baale-elect Taiwo Oke said residents of the community cannot express how happy they were to see that they have water. He said he is happy that the risk associated with looking for water around the neighbou-rhood would drastically reduce and no child would die of accident, which he said was a usual occurrence in the area.

    Southwest Report gathered that the four communities of Olusanya, Papa Uku, Agbajowo and Ifesowapo, in Animokun area have no fewer than 3,500 residents and have survived without potable water for ages.

  • Rotary donates artificial limbs to amputees

    The Rotary Club of Mushin Metropolitan 9110 Nigeria  has given out artificial limbs to some amputees.

    Speaking during his investiture of as the 29th President 2015/2016,  the Rotary Club of Mushin Metropolitan 9110 at the  Imperial Chinese Cuisine, Victoria Island, Walter Micah  Andem, said some Nigerians had benefitted from artificial limbs donated by the club, saying more are still available for those that are in need.

    The event was attended by people from all walks of life aside the Rotary Club International members present.

    At the occasion, 2015-2016 board of directors was inaugurated and the star project of the club was also launched.

    Andem said he was excited to be a member of a body that has been at the vanguard of helping mankind through the provision of basic necessities such as quality water, mosquito nets to maternity homes among other things.

    He said the club has built an ICT centre in schools in remote areas in Lagos State, which has made it possible for about 1000-2000 students to have access to computer.

    He disclosed that the star project for the year would be the construction of a Biology laboratory for a school in Oshodi, Lagos.

  • Rotary South Africa delegates visit LCCI

    Rotary South Africa delegates visit LCCI

    A delegation of Rotary International District 9400 has visited the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Victoria Island, as part of the group’s Friendship Exchange programme.

    The team, which was visiting the country for the first time, was led by Mrs Koeki Quashie. She was accompanied by her husband, Kobla; the Honorary Consul of the Ghana High Commission in South Africa, and Chief Executive Officer, TravelVision, Mr Peter Bradshaw David.

    Mrs Quashie said they were on a two-week visit to the country, adding that though some of the group’s members had visited other countries, they had not been to Nigeria or any African country.

    She said: “We have never had any exchange in Africa. I have always wondered why we don’t do inter-African friendship exchange.  This exchange involved a lot of hard work but I am happy to say that it came to fruition.’’

    LCCI Director-General Muda Yusuf said his organisation and Rotary have some things in common – both are voluntary organisations and that some past presidents of LCCI were Rotarians. He said though opportunities and resources abound in Nigeria, the economy is facing some challenges.

    He,however, added that the government through its reforms policy is solving the problem. ‘’Nigerians are very enterprising people. We are everywhere,’’ he said.

    Others at the event were LCCI Director of Trade Promotions and International Relations Dele Alim; Head, BEST Unit, Mayowa Olanihun.

    On the Rotary District 9110’s team were Chairman,Friendship Exchange Mrs Onikepo Oshodi and Mrs  Uyi Sowobi, among others.

  • Rotary distributes bags, de-worms pupils

    The Rotary Club of Omole-Golden under District 9110, Nigeria, on Wednesday last week, distributed school bags to about 200 pupils of Iju Station Primary School 2.

    The initiative, according to the President of the Club, Mr. Idowu Adelogun, is a continuation of the Club’s investment on eradication of illiteracy and support of public school pupils in their quest for quality education.

    He informed the guests at the event that the club also handed over a block of classrooms rehabilitated through contributions by members of the club to Ajuwon High School on Friday, April 8, 2016.

    The club also carried out de-worming of over 400 pupils of Iju Primary School 1 and 2, as part of the interventions to ensure good health and well-being of the pupils.

    The President also mentioned other interventions carried out by the club within the community to include provision of micro-credit facilities for 20 entrepreneurs and support for Polio eradication.

    Members of the club also educated the pupils on the negative effect of sexual and drug abuses. The pupils were counselled on the need to report any cases of abuse and stay away from drugs.

    The Headmistress of the School, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Olabunmi Odedeyi expressed delight over the club’s gesture for the pupils of the school.

    She stated that the pupils were also happy for receiving school bags which most of them lack.

    The event was attended by members of the club, social mobilisation officials; the zone’s education officers from Ifako Ijaiye Local Government Area, teachers and community leaders.

  • Rotary trains 150 youths

    Rotaract Club of Omole Golden in conjunction with Lagos State Community Youth Volunteers (LSCYV) has offered free vocational training skills to 150 youths in Iju Ishaga area of the state.

    The youths undergone training in photography, cinematography, soap making, make up and head gear tying, web designing and blog profitability.

    The club’s  District 9110 Nigeria World Class President, Akani Michael said the gesture was part of Rotary way of assisting its community, nothing  that the vocational skills would enable participants get self employed through the knowledge they have acquired.

    Chairman, District Rotaract Committees, Rotary District 9110 Nigeria, Benedict ‘Okhumale noted that the training was needful following the present state of the economy.

    According to him, the programme is a form of economic empowerment, adding that the skills taught are basic daily needs to humans.

    He said: “A lot of young people are unemployed not because they are not educated but because there are no jobs. A training as this will provide alternative skills to young people with which they can provide social services in their economy and earn extra income for themselves,” he said.

    Olu of Iju Ishaga, Oba Abass Amope Ajibode, urged the youths to be attentive and make good use of whatever they learn.

    LSCYV Zonal Cordinator Olaibi Emmanuel said the training is an opportunity for the youths to be self employed.

  • Lassa Fever: Rotary mulls cleaner environment

    Lassa Fever: Rotary mulls cleaner environment

    With an increasing concern about a clean and disease free environment, the need to ensure a safer environmental condition has become the business of all. Now, in keying into this campaign for a cleaner and safer environment, the Rotary Club of Ikeja, District 9110, has donated environmental/sanitary equipment to the Obada/Ipodo market community in Ikeja, Lagos State. Items donated include big waste disposal bins of different sizes, rakes, modern brooms, parkers and packs of face masks.

    The President, Rotary Club, Ikeja District 9110, Mr. Tosin Kadiri, while making the presentation, explained that the choice of donating sanitary items was borne out of the passion and need to consciously imbibe a culture of having a clean and healthy environment in the people.

    According to him, the recent outbreak of Lassa fever can be linked to the preponderance of unclean environment. He also warn against the Zika Virus, which is currently ravaging countries of South America.

    “We just finished battling Ebola and almost immediately, we are been faced with another disease-Lassa fever. We all know Lassa fever is as a result of filthy environment, and if we don’t have a very filthy environment we won’t have rats everywhere,” kadiri said.

    Explaining its choice of items donated, the Club president explained that a need assessment was carried out on the community and it was discovered that the Obada Ipodo market lack waste disposal bins. “They don’t have a central collection point where they can put their waste and if you don’t dispose your waste properly that is the beginning of all these problems. So with this discovery the Club now decided to procure the sanitary items for them,” he explained.

    Presenting the items, a past president of the Club, Mr. Bintan Famutimi, admonished the market men and women to make the best use of the items so as to encourage the club to continue to do more for them.

    A representative of the Executive Secretary of Ikeja Local Government, Dr. Matthew Ebuloku, expressed his gratitude to the club for the kind gesture and also implored them to continue to do more for the society.

     

  • Lagos Rotary holds free blood screening at Sandgrosse Market

    In continuation of its activities for the Rotary Year 2015/2016, the Lagos Rotary Club recently carried out free blood screening for market women and men at the Sandgrosse Market, Obalende, Lagos. The screening was carried out by certified professionals under the supervision of officials of the club, led by its president, Larry Agose.

    In the end, those whose blood pressures were high were given referrals and also counselled on how to manage their blood pressures.

    The market women and men were impressed with the initiative by Rotary as many of them felt they hitherto believed nobody would count them worthy of such initiative.

    Speaking to The Nation after the event, Agose explained that during a Rotary year, one theme is tied to each month under which humanitarian activities are carried out. He said the visit to the Sandgrosse market to give free blood screening to market men and women was part of the humanitarian initiative for the month under the theme, disease prevention and control.

    He disclosed that as part of the initiative for December, they held autistic children to an end of the year party at Campus Square, also in Lagos, while they also visited the Regina Mundi Catholic Church, Mushin, Lagos, where they hosted old people in the church. He said his club had to lead the way as the oldest Rotary club in the country.

    “As you may know, Rotary is a world-wide humanitarian organisation with over 4.2 million members worldwide and 34,000 clubs. Rotary Club of Lagos is one of those 34,000 clubs and our District, 9110, has 82 clubs and we are the oldest surviving club in the country. The first one was Kano but no more functioning. This year we are 55 years old.”

    Agose said the month of December was for disease prevention and control and the month of January of humanitarian service. He said the disease prevention and control had spilled to this month, hence the free blood screening exercise. He said the disease prevention and control actually started in October when the club donated an incubator to General Hospital at Ifako Ijaye in Lagos. He explained that the hosting of elderly people at Regina Mundi Catholic Church, where drugs and food items were donated to them, was also part of the disease prevention and control.

    The club also bought inverters for the ophthalmology department of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital while they also did economic empowerment for small scale traders by giving them loans free of interest. He explained that they chose Obalende because of what he termed “needs assessment”. He said they had to look at what is needed in certain areas and Sandgrosse market in Obalende is very strategic, hence the decision to do the free blood screening exercise for them there.

  • Rotary partners Lagos on blood donation

    Rotary partners Lagos on blood donation

    The Rotary Club of Ikoyi, Lagos has thrown its weight behind the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Committee (LSBTC) drive to save lives through blood donation to the blood bank for the use of the needy.

    Its president Mrs Remi Akinterinwa said the availability of blood for medical needs at emergencies in the hospitals was critical to the survival of patients, particularly accidents victims.

    The state Blood Transfusion Service Executive Secretary Dr Modupe Olaiya, said: “blood is essential to the body and shortage of it reduces body function and may even lead to death. A lot of people who are in critical conditions in hospitals are in short of it and need to be given blood”.

    Olaiya identified road accident victims, surgical patients and those with burns as patients who need blood.

    Others according to him are people with sickle cell disease, cancer patients, Anaemia and malaria patients with low blood level.

    Speaking after making a donation to the LSBTC, Mrs Akinterianwa described blood donation is a humanitarian gesture of giving life and saving life”.

  • Rotary raises funds for community projects

    Rotary raises funds for community projects

    It was a gathering of families, friends, well-wishers of members of the Rotary Club of FESTAC Town District 9110, Nigeria who gathered to raise funds for various community projects. The event was also used to install Rotarian Alex Geonlebedum, the Executive Director, Summer Storm Investment Company Limited as the 34th President of the club who will pilot its affairs for the next one year.

    It was also a gathering that witnessed a hand over of the reigns of leadership from its out gone President, Rotarian Gabriel Onyema, a renowned Accountant to the new President, Rotarian Geonlebedum. The event took place at the Golden Tulip Hotels, Amuwo Odofin Lagos State.

    As his guest arrived at the massive hall to identify with his achievements, Rotarian Geonlebedum was appreciative of their presence.

    Rotarian Gabriel Amalu and Rotarian Orji Udemezue anchored the event.

    After introduction of some distinguished guests, the new president was ushered into the hall in the company of members of his family. Guests stood up in honour of the President.

    In his address to welcome the guests, the chairman of the investiture committee, Mr. Collins Onyenze thanked them for coming and appealed to members of the club to support the new president in his efforts to raise funds for the success of the planned projects.

    “In line with the Rotary International theme of ‘Be a Gift to the World’, we have resolved to make the future of Rotary better in our community through service,” he said.

    Rotarian Onyema described his tenure as a year of learning and fulfilment, saying that, during his tenure, the club spent N25 million on humanitarian projects.

    He added that the club also sent three children to India for hole-in-the-heart surgery.

    Onyema recalled that when he assumed office on July 1, last year, the club began well in implementing its programmes.

    “We had plans for the execution of 39 projects which were successfully carried out. N25m was spent on humanity which we are proud of. Some of the projects were water sanitation, provision of bore holes, disease prevention and treatment, economic and community development through training people in different fields and construction of Amuwo Odofin public library, among others,” he said.

    Done with his speech, he installed the new president of the club.

    He advised Geonlebedum to protect the name and integrity of the club, saying he has handed over to him a banner unstained and he must hand over in the same manner.

    In his acceptance speech, Geonlebedum said he was overwhelmed by the honour done him, promising to continue where his predecessor stopped.

    He said the club has six areas of focus for the year. These areas, he said, included peace and conflict prevention and resolution; disease prevention and treatment; water sanitation; maternal and child health; better education and literacy and economic and community development.”

    He described his predecessor as a nice man, a jolly good fellow who is open- hearted and a guardian.

    He said Rotarians’ expectation during his tenure is that every day is a plus in life, saying things have come to change.

    The Guest speaker who is Chairman, National Population Commission (NPC) Chief Eze Duruiheoma (SAN), urged the new president and his directors to discharge their duties credibly.

    He urged Geonlebedum to be resilient, accountable and diligent, stressing on the need to render service to humanity.

    He commended Rotary’s service to humanity and called on Nigerians to ask for a credible census as they were in quest for a credible election this year.

    After receiving his award, the father of the new president who doubled as Royal Father of the day, Chief Nze Alionu described his son as a child and appealed to everyone to support him in order to succeed.

    The District Governor, Mr. Bolaji Onabadejo congratulated the ex-president and his directors for the good jobs they did. He also congratulated the father of the President, saying that it is not everybody that has the opportunity to celebrate with their children.

    Mr Bolaji, who was represented by Mr. Wale Ogunbadejo spoke on the development of the club, saying it should embark on projects that have global appeal and work hard on partnership.

    He added that the club should work towards recruiting new members for development.

    Awards were later presented to members and non-members of the club for their contributions towards enhancing the well-being of people. There were also donations towards the club’s projects.

    Patron, World Fashion Organisation, Dr. Merit Gordon Obua, who donated N5 million told Southwest Report that she has always taken pleasure in helping people. She said wealthy Nigerians should help the less-privileged persons.

    “It’s not all about accumulating wealth for the future, rather wealth should be measured according to the number of lives you have touched and transformed,” she said.