Rotary International, District 9125, will spend N2.5billion in the next 12 months on humanitarian projects in Nigeria, newly- inaugurated governor of the district, Mike Omotosho, has pledged.
Omotosho, a pharmacist, stated this in Abuja at the weekend. He said his administration would focus on surgical intervention projects such as cleft lip surgery and polio corrective surgery.
He added that the district would also sink 250 boreholes in deserving communities, fund Vesico Viginal Fistula, VVF surgery among other s.
“But the most important priority for me as governor will be the Change Agenda. There is a whole lot of noise about change. Somehow, I believe, Rotary has the panacea that we need to make the change truly happen. It is the guiding principle of Rotary, with the fourway test: the thing we think, say or do. This can truly be applied profitably to our individual lives, to our businesses, communities, to nations, even at the international level.
“It can also be used for proposed legislation in government, even relationship between students and teachers. Once you are able to subject your thought process, the things you want to say or the things you do to the four-way test, it will guide you to the way you relate with the other person. It is the four way for the things we do say or do. That is, is it the truth? If it passes that test, you move to second one; will it be fair to all concerned? If it passes the second one, you move to the third one: will it be beneficial to all concerned? And, will it build goodwill and better friendship?” he stated.
According to him, the district had made arrangement for 500 shelter boxes for Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, in the country. Each of the shelter boxes, he said, has the basic needs of an IDP, from blanket to immediate needs. Besides, he informed that Rotary was working to make the IDPs gainfully employed and reintroduce them into the society.
While urging more Nigerians to join the group, Omotosho urged that non- Rotarians could embark on various humanitarian projects in their societies to make life more comfortable for the less privileged.
The rotarian, who took over from Tolu Omatsola and would lead the district for one year, further stated: “We would be leveraging on the achievements of our past leaders and my visions for Rotary in District 9125 are therefore summarised into four areas: “To increase the number of clubs and members in our district with the singular aim of re-distributing; be massively involved in bigger, bolder and better projects across the District; to increase the District’s contribution to the Rotary Foundation; and leave a legacy of the Rotary House…This year’s theme is “Be a Gift to the World” and Nigeria needs a gift of change.”
Meanwhile, former President, Rotary International, Jonathan Majiyagbe, has called on all stakeholders working on polio in the country to sustain the current oneyear polio-free status.
Majiyagbe at the event said that increased immunisation and vigilance would hand the nation a polio-free certificate by the World Health Organisation, WHO.
His words: “We are very happy that we have come this far. But, there are challenges. We still have to maintain routine immunisation; we have to be very accurate with our surveillance. Those are the things we need to do so that within the next two years, we don’t have any more case of polio. And, then, we can have certification for Nigeria and indeed Africa to be a polio-free region.”