Rotary Club seeks collaboration to address out-of-school children menace

The Rotary Club has urged government, cooperate organisations and influential individuals to intensify efforts at reducing the number of out-of-school children the country. The President, Rotary Club of Abuja Central Business District (CBD), Mrs Aisha Ali, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) during her investiture as the 7th President of the club in Abuja. She also urged spirited Nigerians and corporate organisations to assist in creating means of livelihood for the people, especially at this challenging moment. “Government alone can not do it. We have to come together and do what is called crowd funding to give hope to those at the grassroots and lonely places, who cannot repay our gesture. “We need to ensure that every child goes to school, because education is the right of every child. “We should carry everybody along because when these children are not in school they can later create problem for the society. “If God has blessed you, try to bring at least a child off the street back to school,” she said. Earlier in her acceptance speech, Ali who is the 7th president of the club, pledged that the club would continue to prioritise humanitarian services and projects that would impact positively on the people. “In line with our new year theme of the club: “Create Hope in the World” which began on July 1, the board members and I have come up with some selected projects to be executed. “As a matter of priority the completion of the building of a block of classrooms at LEA Primary School at Gidan Gimba, Uke, Nasarawa State, which the club started last year. “This will provide a conducive learning environment for pupils of the community. “We also intend to strengthen our support to our Rotary Club at Command Secondary School, Mogadishu Baracks, Abuja among others,” she said. Ali commended all the past presidents and leaders of the club for their contributions towards the development of the organisation. The immediate past President of the Club, Maxwell Amuchie, while congratulating the new leadership urged it to develop personal conviction and courage in the pursuit of its set goals. According to him, without the power of personal conviction and courage, it would be difficult to accomplish any set goal. He said that the club under his leadership was able to carry out series of humanitarian services, including a toilet facilities donated to a school in Gidan Gimba. “With that singular act, we were able to stop open defecation in the primary school which was without toilet facilities for both the teachers and the students. “We also started the construction of a block of two classrooms with the head teacher office,” he said. The Guess Speaker, Dr Betty Olutunde, in her presentation titled: “Creating Hope in the World Through Humanity” urged members of the club to continue to leave a life of selfless service to help others. Olutunde, the Founder of Betneely Charity Foundation, who was represented by Mrs Glory Johnson, urged Rotarians to continue to uphold the tents and principles of the club to make the world a better place. She advised them not to be selfish but always think and look out for the welfare of others. “I have never seen a tree that eats its own fruits, rather when the fruits come out, every other person comes to take from that tree. That is what Rotary stands for. “Let us continue to think about those out there without access to clean water or healthcare facilities,” she said. NAN reports that highlights of the Investiture programme included fund raising and presentation of awards of excellence to persons who distinguished themselves in humanitarian services. The awardees include the Corps Marshall of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Dauda Biu with the Award of Excellence for Prudence Leadership; Olutunde with outstanding Humanitarian Service and Women Empowerment. Also the Award of Excellence in Humanitarian Service was conferred on King Odeh Adah, an entrepreneur and Chief Executive Officer of Ochacho group. The Director-General of National Orientation Agency, Dr Garba Abari, was also presented an Award of Excellence for Outstanding Leadership, while Award of Professional Excellence in Journalism Service was conferred on Adewunmi Ayobami, the Executive Director, News, Nigeria Television Authority (NTA). Other recipients of the club Awards of Excellence and Humanitarian Services include the former Governor of Nasarawa State, Sen. Tanko Al-Makura; the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Governorship candidate in Kogi, Muritala Ajaka, and the immediate past president of the club, Amuchie.(NAN).(