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The event may have come and gone but the memories of the recent Investiture of Otunba Ayo Abimbola as the second President of the Rotary Club of Epe Metropolitan, Lagos State, Nigeria, as well as the N10m Fundraiser for the Club’s projects, would remain evergreen. Only on Monday, September 30, 2019, just about a month after the investiture, the Club hit the ground running, to execute the first post-investiture Basic Education and Literacy (BE&L) Project in Epe.
At his investiture in August, Abimbola had promised to take the Club to greater heights, and now, he seems to be walking his talk with the active support of his members.
Recall that the investiture which held Saturday, August 31, 2019, was the talk of the town in Epe, a fast-growing community on the outskirts of Lagos, and the entire state for the calibre of personalities who graced the occasion. Echoes of the keynote speech delivered at the investiture are still reverberating, not only across the country but the entire globe as a whole because of its importance to Nigeria’s economic development.
Welcoming the guests and members to the event , Otunba Abimbola gave the glory to God and expressed his sincere gratitude to all the members for their efforts and support just as he acknowledged the contributions of members of the Investiture Planning Committee, chaired by the club’sVice President, Rotarian Lai Elewuro, who, according to him, did a great job in planning and organising the event.
Formally accepting the mandate to lead the Club to greater heights for the next one year as the second President of the Club that was Chartered on May 4, 2018, Otunba Abimbola dwelt on Rotary’s six areas of focus while outlining his vision for the Rotary Club of Epe Metropolitan.
“I believe I can safely say that everyone of us in our Club is already aware of my quest to establish and Charter a Rotaract Club in Epe. And I’m particularly appreciative of the efforts of our members who are officials of the University of Ibadan- affiliated Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCPED) for already helping to jumpstart a viable Rotaract Club of MOCPED, District 9110.,” he stated in his acceptance speech, titled, My 2019-2020 Vision for Rotary Club of Epe Metropolitan (RCEM).
Speaking further at the high-profile and well-attended ceremony that was chaired by a former Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Senator Adegbenga Sefiu Kaka, Otunba Abimbola, said, “If we realise sufficient interests in Epe for an Interact Club, we will endeavour to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. These, I believe, fall into the Rotary’s basic education focus.”
Explaining further, Abimbola, said, “As for Disease Prevention and Treatment, I intend to marry this focus with Maternal and Child Health focus, whereby we can effectively engage some experienced Rotary International partner NGOs from the United States or elsewhere, to organise and bringing into Epe, medical missions at different intervals for at least two to three times before the end of our 2019-2020 tenure on 30 June, 2020. This joint efforts can be co-sponsored in partnership with either Lagos State Health Service Commission through Epe General Hospital or other capable medical /healthcare facilities in and around the Lekki-Ibeju-Epe axis.”
Promising to bring his wide experience to bear on the projects listed for execution during his term as President of the Club, Otunba Abimbola said, “As a Public Health Consultant myself, I’m very passionate about this prospect that is also envisaged to make provisions for and deploy distribution of both pharmaceutical and women’s health aides to Epe populace at organised public events to be agreed upon and determined by the Club.”
On the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) focus, Abimbola said, “we shall identify two key areas in Epe with the most need for public toilets; preferably nearby or around Aiyetoro Market and Recreation Park,” adding, “This, I believe, is a great project to consider worthy of attention in Epe because there’s a public health need to have public toilets in Epe and accomplishing such is a goal I’m committed to. “
He was of the view that “If we can build even just one public toilet and sink a borehole, not directly near the public toilet, but adjacent to it, I believe that would be a great achievement for Epe Township.”
According to the new President, “For RCEM, this will help us build goodwill and better friendships with the public simply because access to good working public toilet will directly impact the lives of Epe grassroots people who will clearly see that RCEM is doing something laudable in Epe Township.”
On Economic and Community Development focus, Abimbola said he would identify qualified youths in Epe who have already acquired valuable vocational skills or undergoing some type of vocational training, but may be unable to establish their businesses due to financial constraints.
“ Such youths who are economically disadvantaged because of low family financial status would be thus empowered, and by default, they also will be enabled to help their immediate and extended families,” he assured.
Speaking on the Peace Building and Conflict Resolution focus, Abimbola said, “I intend to look into this hot-button focus only on a case-by-case basis. This is because it takes time and consistency to build community relations that is based upon trust. To this end, I intend for Rotary Club of Epe Metropolitan, District 9110 Nigeria, to work closely with our Royal fathers and their respective High Chiefs, Baales, and other Community Leaders, respectively. Some of these community leaders are being inducted into membership status in our Club today. Also. we are glad and grateful to have in our midst today, both our Epe Royal Fathers, The Oloja of Epe Land and The Olu Epe of Epe Kingdom who are demonstrably gracious to Rotary International CAUSES!”
To the guests of Rotary Club of Epe Metropolitan, Friends of Rotary, and fellow Rotarians, the new President said,” in the next weeks and months ahead, our Club will be carrying out SWOT analysis of each focus areas based upon both available open-source intelligence, as well as on reconnaissance research.”
According to Abimbola, “This is important in order for us to have nearly as accurate budgeting calculations as possible,” even as he stressed that “All of the above are the reasons for our Ten Million Naira (N10M) Fundraiser Luncheon today,”
as he humbly requested guests and friends at the occasion “to give generously to help us raise required funds for our Projects.”
He maintained that “At the end of the day, the only bottom line is that as lofty as my vision being espoused here may be, none of the ideas here can fly without the needed funds.”
He however said that “We shall endeavour to review our options as we begin to take action on our prospective projects with a view to carrying out the necessary and proper, all-too-important and required NEEDS ASSESSMENTS in accordance with Rotary tradition of excellence. “
According to him, “This will be part of our readiness to apply for both District and Rotary International grants for our Projects,” adding, “I pledge to the Club and to Epe Township that I will never hesitate to fight for every single naira, dollars, or Euros out there in grant money and/or donations that we as a Rotary Club is eligible to apply for and receive.”
Otunba Abimbola expressed gratitude to everyone present at the occasion, which had the District Governor of Rotary International District 9110, Rotarian Jide Akeredolu, represented by Assistant District Governor, Rotarian Charles Olufemu Keshinro, the Odofin of Ilara-Epe kingdom, as the chief host, for their show of support “as we continue our journey together to take RCEM to the level we can all be proud of in Epe.”
He also appreciated the Club members for the confidence they have in his leadership of the Club, saying “Let us all help Epe to the rest of the Rotary Clubs in District 9110 that truly, ‘Rotary Connects The World!’’
Highlights of the ceremony included the N10million fundraiser to prosecute the “Operation Lift Up Epe Projects Engagement” during his tenure as well as the induction of six new Rotarians into the Club. A wheel chair was also donated to a physically-challenged citizen of Epe while sewing machines were also given to qualified graduates of vocational programmes . School pupils were not also left out of the humanitarian gesture of the Rotary Club as many secondary school pupils in the town were given school sandals.
The importance of the investiture was such that the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Chief Gani Adams, was represented by six of his High Chiefs just as the monarchs in the area were also in attendance.
The keynote address of the ceremony was delivered by Assistant Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps, Dr. Kayode Olagunju, whose speech, titled, The Advent of Electric Vehicles and the Reality on the Nigerian Oil Economy, is still reverberating across the country and the world as he made a case for the Federal Government of Nigeria to support investments in electric vehicles projects in order for the country not to be left behind in the Electric Vehicles evolution going on currently across the world.
Apparently, to avoid being carried away by the euphoria of the success of the Investiture ceremony, on Monday, September 30, the Rotary Club of Epe Metropolitan under the able leadership of Otunba Abimbola swung into action by embarking on its first post- Investiture Basic Education and Literacy (BE&L) project to mark the Education Month, which is marked by the Rotary International, every September.
At the seminar for secondary schools pupils which held at the University of Ibadan-affiliated Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCPED), Noforija-Epe, Lagos State, 160 school pupils (80 boys and 80 girls) were lectured on the way forward for their future and counseled on being good children in preparation for their roles as future leaders of the country. At the end of the seminar, in which top government officials from the State Ministry of Education, were represented, 1000 exercise books, 160 rubber school sandals, 500 ink pens and lots of other educational materials were given to the pupils who came from eight secondary schools in Epe area.
The pupils came from Molajoye Junior High School, Molajoye; Epe Junior Grammar School, Epe; MOCPED International Secondary School, Noforija and Nazareth Junior College, Ibonwon. Forty pupils represented each of the four selected secondary schools in the Epe Division.
Expressing satisfaction and happiness at the success of the seminar, Otunba Abimbola told AUTO REPORT AFRICA in a chat after the programme that “the event was remarkable and successful” even as he expressed gratitude to members of the Club for their “generous donations.”
