Power Oil, Lagos Partner to Provide Free Health

In a bid to reduce sicknesses and death rate among women in Lagos State, Vegetable Cooking Oil Firm, Power Oil in collaboration with Lagos State Government has launched an initiative to cater for the health and social needs of women.

The initiative, which entails providing free health services to women covering diagnosis and treatment, enlightenment on health issues as well as educating them on other social issues such as domestic violence, child abuse, rape among others is expected to hold periodically to enhance its effectiveness.

Launching the initiative at the maiden edition of the Lagos Women Forum, wife of Lagos State governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode noted that the programme was necessitated by the recurring cases of social problems of domestic violence, child abuse, rape and others despite efforts from both public and private initiatives to contain them. She noted that such social ills were major hindrances to economic advancement in the state.

“In view of this, this programme is thought of to educate ourselves on health issues and our rights as women which will embolden us to shun silence and be vocal voices for our own case. Health they say is wealth, it is the gateway to everything. It is for this reason that free health screening, vital checks, HIV test, cancer screening, free eye glasses and others were made priorities of this forum.”

Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Idiat Oluranti Adebule added: “The theme of today’s forum titled ‘Women: Your Health, Your Social Environment’ is very apt and most appropriate. This is because women’s health is not simply determined by their biological destiny, but more by how societies view and value their roles.”

Beverage firm, Nigerian Breweries Plc has launched the 10th edition of its annual Golden Pen Award, an initiative that aimed to promote professionalism and fine ethics in journalism profession.

Since its commencement, the initiative has influenced the role of the press in the socio-economic development of Nigeria following the contents generated by media houses and accompanying feedback from necessary quarters.

So far, the award has raised the hope of more than 19 journalists in the media profession to include nine grand prize winners in the Journalist of the Year category, six grand prize winners in the Photo Journalist of the Year category and four others in the Report of the Year category. It has also produced several runners up in the three categories.

Corporate Affairs Adviser of the company, Kufre Ekanem, at the unveiling ceremony, expressed satisfaction on the outcome of the programme since it started.

“Looking back over the last nine editions, we are happy that the initiative has continued to help improve the quality of journalism in Nigeria going by the quality of entries we receive every year as attested to by our independent