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THE Ojora of Ijora and Iganmu Kingdom, in Lagos State, Oba Abdulfatai Oyeyinka, has donated a 14-seater Toyota Hiace bus and several other items to the Nigerian Red Cross Society in the state.
Oyeyinka told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday that he donated the items on the last day of 2022, to mark the New Year celebration which commemorates with his 70th birthday.
NAN reports that the other items donated included bags of rice and beans, packets of noodles, clothes, diapers among other things.
The traditional ruler said he had been partnering with the Nigerian Red Cross for 25 years to donate relief materials to the needy to help improve their wellbeing.
“I am passionate about caring for the needy especially motherless children, that is why I engage in humanitarian service every year.
“I am happy for the opportunity of donating the bus, food and cloth items to the society. I hope it will go a long way in assisting their humanitarian services,” he said.
Oyeyinka urged other well meaning Nigerians to help the Red Cross improve on its humanitarian services and emergency responses by donating items that would meet their needs.
The Chairperson of the Nigerian Red Cross in the state, Mrs Adebola Kolawole, described the gesture as “a last minute miracle”.
According to her, it came at the last day of 2022 with just a few hours to 2023.
Kolawole thanked the traditional ruler saying that the bus would certainly help solve the problem of logistics and transporting the motherless and abandoned children in their care during visitations.
“The bus will be used to convey the children and people to the Magistrates’ Court from time to time, clinic and other outings.
“The bus will also be used as emergency response although not an ambulance, it can also move us from one point to another to do few administrative work also,” she said.
Kolawole said that the Society looked forward for more support as emergency responders and appreciated Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his support to humanitarian services over the years.
“We look forward to more support and we are very hopeful that the government is having something in the kitchen that it is going to reveal to us soon.
“He is a listening governor who has been supporting us in the past. We recognise the role he played during the Ita Faaji building collapse in 2019 just as governor-elect,” she said.
Kolawole said that Sanwo-Olu was recently awarded the Henri Dunant Award of Excellence, an award only given once in ten years.
“We recognise all his humanitarian projects targeted toward relieving the suffering of the people especially the needy in the society.
“We hope that a good number of people will imbibe this attribute of supporting humanitarian services just like the governor and Ojora of Ijora.
“We pray and look forward to more support and a good emergency response in 2023,” the chairman said. (NAN)
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Tags: Mrs Adebola Kolawole Oba Abdulfatai Oyeyinka Red Cross Society
