RCCG Victory House Parish Donates Laptops to Blind Students
A Nigerian artist and photographer, Adeniji Adekunle, has created a Museum model dedicated to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who he said truly has a great vision for Nigeria’s politics.
Describing the elder statesman as an icon who loves his country, a patriot and a role model, Adekunle said, “Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a very rare example of an extraordinary leader which I simply love for making more leaders out of his followers in the last two decades.”
The proposed structure to be namedAsiwaju BolaAhmed Tinubu Museum and Leadership Centre, the artist said, will be an innovative table top and wall exhibit which will showcase the past and present of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in pictures, drawings, newspaper publications and items that has a lot to say about Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
The museum, which the model designer and artist said can also be called JAGABAN Museum, will also house the collection of iconic and remarkable pictures, items and historical events in Lagos and Nigeria’s politics.
“The museum will be a cost effective approach to present historical items about Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to schools systems, communities, colleges and universities throughout the nation and the world in general”, Adekunle added.
He noted further that, “once a leading player in Nigeria’s private sector, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu is now a leading political figure in Nigeria. Emerging as Lagos State governor in 1999, Tinubu has left landmark achievements for history to judge.
Honourable Justice Ayodeji Balogun, the Pastor in charge of Victory House Parish of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Ilaje Road, Bariga, on Sunday February 2, 2020, donated 25 new laptops to 25 students from the Bethesda Home for The Blind.
According to Balogun, the students would have lost the opportunity to go to university without the laptops as this is a fundamental requirement for their enrollment. In his words, “Nobody should be denied the opportunity to have quality education because of his or her disabilities”.
He said further that the 25 laptopswereworthN2.5million and that the laptops will be configured in “braille” to make them usable by the beneficiaries.
“It is our hope that each person who is visually-impaired may experience the information age in a positive and productive manner. We believe technology opens new worlds and creates an opportunity for greater personal freedom; as you can see how joyous the students are, their joy knows no bounds; it is our belief that with this donation, we have empowered them to further their education and have a much brighter future”, he said.
Justice Balogun further encouraged
“One of his many successes was his ability to galvanise the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of Lagos State from less than a billion naira in 1999 to more than N20billion, thus making the state one of the few that can survive without federal government allocations. He spearheaded the good governance that Lagos state is known for today.”
According to Adekunle, “Twelve years after, Lagosians are full of nostalgia. The welfarist legacy of the Tinubu administration in Lagos State has served as an enduring foundation for successive governments to build on.
“The achievements of former the general public to support the blind in the society, adding that the RCCG through its CSR unit has committed itself to giving succour in six specific areas of health, education, feeding, social enterprise, rehabilitation and prisons.
He said the church has been involved in donating and installing world-class facilities for the benefit of mankind, notable are the Intensive Care Units donated to LASU, Unijos and most recently RCCG Camp, Mowe, Ogun State; daily feeding centres across the world, rehabilitation of blocks of classrooms and health centres, rehabilitation of drug addicts and prostitutes among other initiatives. Shortly after the presentation of the 25
Governor Bola Tinubu between 1999 and 2007 underscored the power of diligent planning and execution of the famed 24-Year Socio-economic and Political Development Plan.
“The Lagos blueprint also attested to Tinubu’s power of foresight and the import of team work. Lagos, according to observers, has remained a model state because it has evolved a standard that cannot permit deviations by successors.
“In the successive cabinet of talents are seasoned technocrats who cannot afford to play politics with the development of the state, and the most important factor in success is the judicious laptops to the blind students, Justice Balogun led members of Victory House Parish to feed 500 Bariga residents whom they gave packed food and raw food items. He remarked that the feeding programme and the laptop donation are in line with the CSR focus of the RCCG as taught by the General Overseer, Pastor E.A. Adeboye.
The Special Assistant to The General Overseer on Christian Social Responsibility, Pastor Idowu Iluyomade who was represented at the event in his goodwill remarks said, His Love Foundation is on a mission to follow Jesus’ example of showing unconditional love to the poor and oppressed and is dedicated to bringing succour to the most vulnerable people allocation of resources.”
The artist explained further why he is drawn to Tinubu.
“Bola Tinubu has made more leaders out of his followers in the last two decades and have touched many lives positively and I believe a museum that will house the history of a living icon in his person”, he added.
He therefore called on wellwishers, friends, and followers of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a living icon, to support this plan to make history by building a museum that will house his history where school students, communities, colleges and universities can come and learn more about this iconic personality. in the society regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.
He further remarked that, “it makes us very proud that the blind students want to attempt to better themselves hence we believe that the laptops donated by Honourable Justice Deji Balogun will make a lifetime difference in the lives of the beneficiaries”.
In appreciation, the founder of Bethesda Home of The Blind, Mrs Chioma Ohakwe said “from our students reactions, you can see the joy, we are overwhelmed because a blind person going to any higher institution without a laptop is like a child going to school without pencil, so we are very happy and we pray to God to reward RCCG Victory House Parish abundantly.
“The mission of the school is to bring up visually-impaired young boys and girls to showcase the abilities in them”.
One of the beneficiaries, Adeniran Temitope Joseph, a University of Lagos CRS in Education student who spoke on behalf of others said, “The laptop donation by Justice Ayodeji Balogun led RCCG Victory House Parish will make an immeasurable difference to the future life-chances of so many of us and we want to thank RCCG for helping to transform our lives”.
The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-olu, has expressed concern over the high rate of work-related injuries many of whom are not accounted for, worrying that Nigeria does not have accurate statistics in this regard.
He said this during the maiden edition of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) West Africa Conference with the theme “Shaping the future of Occupational Safety and Health in West Africa” held recently at the Lagos Oriental Hotel.
While expressing his appreciation to the chartered professional body for her commitment to collaborate with the state to raise the standard of safety and health amongst her citizens, the governor who was represented by the Director in charge of Occupational Health Services, at the State Ministry of Health, Dr. Kuburat Layeni, further stressed that workplace related accidents has become a major concern for employees and employers.
He said however that this could be prevented if regulators and stakeholders define clearly their roles in an attempt to reduce the staggering statistics.
While stressing IOSH’s commitment to support Nigeria’s transformative strategy to raise safety and health standards and improve competencies amongst professionals across the continent, the IOSH Global President, Professor Andrew Sharman, in a pre-recorded video presentation said, the institution is delighted to be building on the important memorandum of collaboration it signed last year to support the development of strong workplace safety cultures promoted by businesses and government agencies.
He pointed out that to sustain growth, productivity and profitability, investors and businessownersworldwidearelearning thattheyneedtolookafterpeopleatworkandintheirsupplychains.
“Countries with strong safety and health at work are prospering asinvestorsplacefaithintheirfuture.“Nigeriaunderstandsthisand it’sIOSH’sgreatprivilegetopartneryourGovernmentandtheLagos StateSafetyCommission to enable your farsighted national strategy to reach its full potential”, Sharman said.
Explaining the body’s global vision, the IOSH Chief executive, Bev Messinger , said it is a safe and healthy world of work. She said it’s an ambition that IOSH and its 47000 members cannot achieve alone and as such is positioned to forge partnerships, develop strong frameworks and effect positive change for organisations working around the world.
Speaking on the impact of the conference, the IOSH Nigeria Consultant and Chief Executive of Combined Training Services, (CTS), Mrs. Funmi Adegbola, expressed her joy at the success of the maiden event most especially because the speakers were carefully selected and did justice to the that affected safety and health professionals and all participants.
The high point of the event was the official launch of the “No Time to Lose Campaign” anchored by the IOSH Vice-President, Mr.Kayode Fowode.