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DAILY SUN
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
City SUN
Olaosebikan, ex-Lam’s aide celebrates 50 with disabled From IBRAHIM AKANBI, Ibadan
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he inmates of Ceshire Home, Sango, Ibadan, Oyo State capital, an abode for the less privileged and handicapped persons, felt a touch of love and hope recently. They felt remembered when consummate journalist and former Chief Press Secretary to ex-governor of Oyo State, late Lam Adeshina, Alhaji Kehinde Olaosebikan celebrated his 50th birthday with them. It was a birthday unusual as the ex-journalist shunned the urge to mark his golden anniversary in grand style with his family, relatives, well wishers, political associates and elitist friends and decided to remember the dreg of the society. The former Chairman of Oluyole Local Government under the administration of Adebayo Alao Akala said: “My life has always been about sadness. It has always been about moving close to the needy as well as serving and promoting mankind. I think at 50, there is no other way to celebrate my birthday than making it an avenue to extend love to those people by putting smile on their faces and at the same time appreciating the Almighty God. One has to share with those in need, or give out of what had been provided him or her by God. I
will say my coming here today has further expanded my horizon about life. I have not come to celebrate only but to interact with them.” The milestone event took place at the main auditorium of the Ceshire Home, which was filled with visitors and about 20 inmates, some on wheel chairs and a few others mentally disabled. The sight was wonderful and interesting as the celebrant in white attire engaged in series of activities ranging from the cutting of the cake, to the sharing of refreshments and gift items. He also danced with the inmates of the home, who beamed with smiles during the photograph session. Comrade Adeola Soetan a friend to the celebrant and President of Feed Nigeria Initiative, in his opening remark at the event condemned stigmatisation of the less privileged by the society and urged them to move closer instead to the needy. His words: “We should appreciate and show love to them rather than stigmatise or even sympathise with them. They need words encouragement and motivational support. They can be seen as the less privileged, but among them you can find our future leaders and they can also be useful in various aspects of human endeavour.”
•Olaosebikan (in white) and others celebrating with the inmates He called for inventions of facilities that would be designed in a way that benefits inmates of the home. An elated Alhaji Olaosebikan, who told Daily Sun, he felt fulfilled, donated a cheque of N10, 000 towards the building of a toilet for the home. He also urged well-endowed Nigerians to reciprocate by donating to the poor and needy clothes and other belongings. Giving the vote of thanks on behalf of the home, one of the inmates, Mr. Pepple, expressed happiness and gratitude for the kind
gesture by the celebrant, which he said should be emulated by other members of the public. Said he: “I am happy someone could remember and also extend to us love. I pray to God to continue to bless his family and to also grant him long life and prosperity.” The wife of the celebrant, Mrs. Omolara Olaosebikan, amidst joy, sang songs of praises in gratitude to God for sparing the life of her husband, who she disclosed just recovered from a serious ailment. “I thank God for sparing his life. He was in a state we all thought he wouldn’t make it, but I thank God he is hale and hearty to celebrate today.”
NGO grants 19 financial empowerment By RACHAL AGUNTA
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t was payday recently for the pair of David Kekere-Ode and Igwe Ifeanyi. The duo were given big cause to smile this season when they were handed the sum of N200, 000 each by Life Track Foundation to boost their respective businesses and improve on their streams of income. Life Track, a non governmental organisation which holds monthly seminars in Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, was said to have given out similar packages to tens of indigent folks this year in three of the aforementioned centres. In a chat with Daily Sun, the foundation’s visioner, Dr. Alla Ibanibo, said the organisation is a life- changing platform meant to mentor, inspire, motivate and empower people on how they can improve on their
businesses, life style and thinking. “ Life Track has a humanitarian focus and mindset. We are committed to improving the lots of some people through this programme. It is a reach out thing. Life Track is about life. It is about going to the fundamentals of our values. We have a country so blessed, so rich and so endowed yet we have a whole army of very active segment of the society that is helpless. That is why we are stepping in to fill the gap.” On how the organisation gets get funds, Dr Ibanibo said God has blessed him and he did not want to be selfish. That is why he can give out little, even though he said he was looking forward to when the foundation would be giving out bigger packages in the region of millions of naira to serious minded people so as o improve their lives. “I’ m taking this project as seed sowing venture.
I believe that wealth is not necessarily about the amount of money or material possessions one has. It is about living in the hearts of people. And that is a very fundamental value for me. That is why I am making this sacrifice. When I do what I do, it gives me joy to hear testimonies of how people have been encouraged, inspired, motivated and have once again regained hope that all is not lost after all. That is my reward.” He noted that “we started this programme in October last year and we don’t ask nobody to pay anything. And we don’t collect anything from any body. The seminars, hall and The bneficiaries entertainment are free. Everything is free because we don’t want anybody Ibanibo said: “Basically, my greatest to have any misconceptions about challenge is acceptance. Naturally, our intent and purpose. So we want when you throw out something like people to stay focused that this is a this and you are not demanding money from anybody, people tend to different thing all together.” Speaking about his challenges, be skeptical, especially in the light of
Again, Divine Mandate brings succour to widows, orphans By HENRY UTSALO
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or the past seven years, a Lagosbased non-governmental organisation, the Divine Mandate, a faith-based charity organisation, has been a channel of blessing to hundreds of widows, orphans and the underprivileged. Scores of widows and orphans, among others, have benefitted from the benevolence of the organisation. Members of the organisation have visited many orphanages and homes for the physically-challenged and donated food items, princely sums of money and other items to the inmates. Founder of the organisation, Revd Onyido Eugene, said during a recent encounter with Daily Sun that widows are the focus of the NGO for this year. According to him, a programme tagged Vision Support Project has been initiated to empower many widows in Lagos, the nation’s commercial capital. The programme will hold in Lagos on Saturday, December 1, at the End
Time Power Global Evangelical Ministry Incorporated, 213 Kirikiri Road, Osondu Bus Stop, Olodi Apapa. Under the scheme, Eugene noted that many widows have been empowered. He promised that the organisa-
•Revd. Eugene
tion would not relent in its effort to advance help for widows, especially those who could not take care of themselves and their children. Eugene stated that many widows would still benefit from the scheme, irrespective of their religious and cultural affiliations. His words: “We don’t have a particular church we are attached to. Anybody from any community or any church can take part in this project. It does not matter whether you attend an orthodox church or a Pentecostal church. What really matters is that you must be a widow to participate in the project. Our concern is to save lives and encourage women.” While urging some widows who were wealthy enough to take care of themselves and their children not to participate, Eugene enjoined poor widows who could not provide for their children to maximize the opportunities in the project. He expressed optimism that the project would restore lives and win souls into God’s
kingdom. Eugene said he was also grateful to the General Overseer of the Christian Pentecostal Mission (CPM), Revd (Dr.) Obiora Ezekiel, a district pastor of CPM, Dr. Tony Akwashiki and De Jones Oil for their support to him and his organisation, saying they have been of immense help to the underprivileged. Eugene said the Divine Mandate planned to establish a school for orphans and those who do not have enough funds for their education. He lamented that many children have dropped out of school because of inability to pay school fees as low as N5, 000. He noted that lack of money has turned many girls who have no parents to commercial sex workers. The founder of Divine Mandate further stated that the Vision Support Project would make many Nigerians to be more patriotic. The project, he said, would assist people in the prisons and hospitals. He also appealed to individuals and corporate organisations to support the needy.
the fact that a lot of NGOs nowadays are platforms for exploitation and abuse.” He said he had the confidence that the organisation would be able to surmount all its challenges. “People are a bit cautious but we will be able to surmount it. We have released funds, though as little as it was because I believe that every great today had a small yesterday. We have done the same in Abuja and PortHarcourt. In all, we have given 19 people financial assistance and we believe that by next year, the number will increase rapidly,” he said. Reacting to the fears that the beneficiaries might fail to invest the money well, Ibanibo said: “We believe they will, because that is why we have spent one year mentoring them. We also have a mentoring team that will continue to monitor them. The exercise is a continues one. We will continue to mentor them and encourage them to have the same spirit of mentoring other people. Expressing their gratitude, David of Broadsky Education Services and Ifeanyi of Golden Havilah Microeconomics Studio Ltd, appreciated the gesture of the coordinator and his willingness to help and assist others. They both believe that the gesture will help them to improve their businesses and better support themselves and their families.