By Justina Auta
As part of its sixth anniversary, the Rotary Club of Abuja, has unveiled its songbook, honoured three members, vowed to address open defecation and improve access to education in Gidan Gimba community, Nassarawa state.
The club’s President, Mr Max Amuchie, during the unveiling of their songbook in Abuja, highlighted the essence of songs, which he said is a major aspect of fellowship and would make the club more lively.
Amuchie added that the conferment of life achievements awards to three members is in recognition of their contributions to achieving some of the club’s mandates in touching lives of people at the grassroots.
He said the event was also an opportunity to raise fund for the completion of the block of classrooms and toilets to improve access to education and address open defecation in Gidan Gimba community, Karu local government area in Nassarawa state.
“In Rotary, every club adopts a community in a rural area to do humanitarian work. You go to a community made up of people who cannot pay you back but need help, so we adopted Gidan Gimba in Nasarawa state,” he said.
He said the club has intervened in the areas of skills acquisition programme, out-reach for polio, provision of borehole, medical care like free eye test and donation of sundry materials, including drugs, sanitary pads and other relief materials.
According to him, the Rotary Club of Abuja is currently building a block of classrooms, three toilets and headteacher’s office in the primary school at Gidan Gimba village, Nasarawa State.
Amuchie said the school has only one block of two classrooms with no toilets for staff and pupils and no office for the headteacher.
He said the interventions would address open defecation and improve access to education.
“We have not finished it, we did the groundbreaking and this event would enable us raise funds to continue the project.
“It is our hope that we will complete the project before the end of this rotary year, before June 2023,” he said.
Chairman of the occasion, Mr Mike Ozekhome, commended the club for their immense contribution to alleviate challenges facing people at the grassroots.
Ozekhome, represented by his son, Osilama, said the Rotary tradition of rendering humanitarian services endeared him to the organisation, which improved his desire to help other people.
He also assured that he would continue to support the club in carrying out projects in communities.
Speaking to journalists on the sideline, one of those honoured, Rotarian Evelyn Onyilo, said the award would spur her and other recipients to do more as service to humanity is the best thing one can do.
“It is Godly because all the holy books prescribe it that we should take care of the poor and those in need,” she added.
High points of the event were the presentation of Lifetime Achievement Awards to Rotarian Joshua Hassan, a Past District Governor (PDG); Rotarian Leke Adepeju, a Past Assistant Governor (PAG), and Rotarian Evelyn Onyilo, a Past Assistant Governor (PAG).
Similarly, five past presidents of the club were also given Certificates of Merit.
