Respite and uplift came the way of thirteen different villages under Alapako in Obafemi/Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, on Saturday, when the Abeokuta Coral Lions Club and the Lekan Adesoye Foundation (LAF) donated food items to over 100 villagers who residents of the area.
The Foundation had, sometimes ago entered into a partnership with Lions to provide eye screening for public primary school pupils, Provide food for the less privileged, under the LAF objectives which include Shelter, Wardrobe and Women empowerment.
Donating the food items, mainly rice and condiments at the Premises of St Peter’s Anglican Church, Orile Ogunmakin, Millennial President of the Club, Lion Olujimi Adekunle Desmond, decried the level of hate in the society, recalling that “Lions Club was formed 100 years ago to bridge the gap between the haves and the have-not”
Olujimi, whose views were re-echored by the Promoter of LAF, Ibiyemi Adesoye, admonished the privileged few to come to the aid of the less-privileged that require help at this trying period.
“I have always had this vision to keep the works of my husband, Pastor Lekan Adesoye, alive and expanding. Before he joined the Saints Triumphant about eleven years ago, the ideals and indeed practice of support to the aged, free counselling to the youths and interest in welfare of those around him were things he was noted for.
“It is on this basis that LAF has partnered Lions Club for the Lionistic year to plough back to the people,” Adesoye told the excited audience, adding: “The Foundation and LAF have many things in common and we hope to do our free eye screening and youth empowerment programmes in January.”
Receiving the items on behalf of the Villagers, the Olu Of Orile Ogunmakin, Oba Olugbemiga Sodiya, appealed to sons and daughters of the town to return home to invest in Agriculture and Agro-allied industry in the communities and beyond.
“Nobody is flying again, no witches and wizards again to kill anyone. The ressurection and redemptive powers of Jesus which saw me through this village, put me in good stead for me to use twenty five years in IBTC, manning its IT also saw me becoming the Oba is enough to do same for any of our children longing to come back home”, the Monarch noted.
Responding to the gift, the Vicar in Charge of the Church which hosted the Villagers for the feast and take-away, Reverend Emmanuel Aina, thanked the LAF and Abeokuta Lions Club, just as he sought their help in building a Sunday School Hall for the Children.
He also requested that Nigeria should rethink her curriculum in education, insisting that indigenous languages should be deployed early in life to enhance learning.
He said, “What we have as children this days are robots, we should go back to the days of yores where the primary school rhythm and rhymes teach moral values, sharpens intellect and bring forth the glory of God in us all. I am not saying the IT world is not good, but negative exposures to it is affecting the society negatively, this we should guide against.”
