The Aare of Ofiki land, Oyo State, Oba Gbenga Adigun Adeoye, has disclosed that he will prioritise mental health, building peace through virtual exchanges and girl child empowerment as part of his cardinal projects during his investiture as the 12th President of Rotary Club of Ibadan City Central.
The monarch while disclosing this on Tuesday said his vision is in line with the theme of the current Rotary year, which is ‘Create Hope in the World’ in similarity with the campaign slogan of the incumbent president of Nigeria, ‘Renewed Hope’.
While speaking during what was dubbed the royal installation, Oba Adeoye explained that “for the records, the word hope is strong and often used when everything seems to be the end, lost, shattered and not redeemable. It is an encouragement word given the spiritual invocation by God to bring back and strengthen a weak spirit going to extinction.
“You will all agree with me that the way of life of every living soul worldwide has been inflicted by worries, depression, diseases and climate change effects. In the light of these disorders, the RI President, Gordon R. Mcinally carefully unveiled the rotary year theme for over 1.4 million rotarians worldwide with special interests on prioritising mental health, building peace through virtual exchanges and girl child empowerment.
“We at Rotary Club of Ibadan City Central absorbed sink and hook the RI Presidential Initiatives and have proposed projects in the areas of focus of Rotary as reflected in the programme brochure. We immediately hit the ground running; the board marked the month of July with a project tagged maternal and child health done at the Adeoyo State Hospital, Yemetu, Ibadan and on July 27, 2023, after distribution of various items, including cash donations to support both the expectant mothers and children, a girl child named Amira, whose mother died 40 days after delivery but have medical challenges, was adopted by the club to take care of her medical and other needs for a complete Rotary year.
“On this note, the board proposed “Project Amira fund” to the club members which was given express approval on July 28, 2023 during the fellowship. This project is our signature project to empower girl child with similar life experience like Amira to give them hope of existence.
“We also joined other Rotary clubs in Ibadan to execute a joint project on “Keep Hepatitis Zero” to mark the World Hepatitis Day on July 28, 2023 at Scout Camp Market, Molete, Ibadan, where about 150 individuals were screened, vaccinated and lectured on Hepatitis effects in the body. This is Rotary and that is what we do to have gained a permanent seat as the only observer NGO in the United Nations Assembly.
“I, therefore, call on all of you who now understand Rotary to join us as a club and support us with your funds as partners to jointly create hope in the world for this Rotary year and beyond,” Oba Adeoye said.
The Chairperson of the Installation planning committee, Princess Adeola Adedoyin Adeyemo, also said, “we have opened opportunities, renewed our passion, surmounted all challenges, imagined a better humanity and eager and ready to serve and move towards a renewed hope.”
She further said that, “to all Rotary members, interactions, Rotakids, our friends, guest present we thank you all. Our project Amira, will be our focus projects for the Hope year 2023 – 2024 and we pray you will support us morally, financially and prayerfully.”
