By Adekola Afolabi

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The Special Adviser to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on Inter-Governmental Relations, Mrs Olubunmi Ademosu, has been inaugurated as the 8th President, Akure Professionals Lions Club, 2022/2023 Lions Year.

At the colorful ceremony held at the International Centre for Culture and Events, (The Dome), Akure, which also coincided with her birthday, Lions Club International District 404A1, Nigeria, equally conferred an award of excellence on Governor Akeredolu for his Leadership and Civil Courage.

The event held on Tuesday October 18, 2022, also witnessed inauguration of Club Directors, presentation of Club Officers, fundraising and induction of new members.

Family members, friends and associates, technocrats, captains of industries, members of the Ondo State Executive Council, among several other dignitaries graced the colourful ceremony.

The guest speaker at the event was Ifedayo Adedipe, SAN.

In his remarks, Governor Akeredolu who was also the Chairman on the occasion, specially appreciated the Club for the honour done him with a promise to continue to do more to serve humanity.

While congratulating Mrs Ademosu on her investiture, Akeredolu lauded the Lions Club for its humanitarian services, urging the gathering to make selfless service to humanity a priority for a better society. He lauded the Club for its positive impacts not only in the state but across the world.

Others who bagged different categories of awards included Rev (Mrs) Olufunke Felix-Adejumo; Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN; Princess Adejoke Orelope Asefulire; Ln Bode Akinwumi; Ln Tokunbo Jegede; Engr. Adeleke Adedipe; Mr. Akinjisola Ige; Dr. Fidelis Ayebae among several others.

Also speaking, the new President, Mrs Ademosu said Akure Professionals Lions Club is determined to use the Lions Years to offer services that would help the needy out of their undignified status.

“My coming up at this time as Club President of an affiliate of world largest service organisation, Lions Club International, is a rare privilege designed by God, propelled by my fellow Lions in Akure Professionals; solidly supported by family members; encouraged by my boss, the Governor of Ondo State and my colleagues in his Cabinet; the Award Recipients and all the distinguished guests present.

“The name of this organisation, LIONS, an acronym which stands for Liberty, Intelligence, Our Nation’s Safety, crystalises the Four Pillars of the Lions Club which include: Humanitarian Needs, Disaster Management, Youth Development and Saving Sight. The commitment to these areas of human needs and development culminate into what makes one to be a LION”, she stressed.

Mrs Ademosu noted that Akure Professionals Lions Club under her watch would undertake various activities that would impact the lives of the poor and vulnerable children in the areas of literacy, hunger, and poverty in consonance with the theme of the International President, Lion Brian Sheehan and the goal of the District Governor in District 404A-1, Nigeria, Lion Anogwi Anyankwu .

The new President listed some of the projects to be executed for 2022/2023 Lion Year to include upgrading and renovation of Ondo State Children’s Home, Oba -Ile, Akure; supply of monthly drugs to Correctional Home, Akure, Ondo; feeding the poor and vulnerable in her community; monthly supply to the Leprosy Home, Akure; supply of drugs to Primary HealthCare for the pregnant women and eyes screening test and restoration of vision (cataract).

Other are supply of exercise books to selected public schools in the community; seminars for selected public secondary school pupils on Good Citizenship, Sex Education, Child Rights and Drug Abuse; Diabetic Screening for market women and lecturing on Women Rights; Lectures on HIV/AIDS current thematic focus; Public Health Walk; Measles campaign; Tree planting in some designated places and reading competition among public secondary schools.

She equally solicited financial support from public spirited persons to raise the sum of N50, 865,750million to execute the numerous projects to complement the salutary efforts of the present administration across sectors in the state.