Lion Barr. Presley Okogie, current President of Warri Sapphire Lions Club (2nd Left), flanked by his wife, Lion Sarah Okogie (3rd Left); Lion Leri Iyovwaye, 1st Vice President, Warri Sapphire Lions Club (Left); and Lion Oghenekevwe Shola Abigor, Director, Warri Sapphire Lions Club (Right)
By Emeka Nwokocha
WARRI/Nigeria: The newly installed President of the Warri Sapphire Lions Club, Lion (Barr.) Presley Okogie has said that his administration would sponsor humanitarian projects to the tune of N4.5 million, saying that provision of toilet facilities at Warri and Ekpan General Hospitals in Warri south and Uvwie local government areas of Delta state would be given priority.
Lion Okogie stated this on Saturday, 17th November, during his inaugural speech after he had been decorated as the new President of the Warri Sapphire Lions Club, at Cambridge International School’s Hall, Airport Road, Warri.
Lion Okogie, emphasising humanitarian services as the cardinal goal of the Lions Club, called on members of the club to support his admistration to execute the important projects to the benefit of the society.
His words: “I thank Lions Club officers who work tirelessly for the growth of our club; I thank my senior Lions and my DG, including my ‘guiding Lions’ for facilitating the growth of our club.”
Adding,” humanitarian service to our society is the primary goal of Lions club. We have to give succour to the poor and the less privileged in our communities and neighbourhoods; that is the reason we are Lions.”
Lion Okogie said that other programmes to promote good health in the society would be given priority, stating that a project for diabetes would form part of the activities of his administration, including other programmes that will be of benefit to the people.
“I strongly believe that with your assistance these projects will be echieved. I urge you to contribute generously to ensure our goals are met, and it will be an honour to Lions club.
“Your contributions are going to the needy; we are obliged to give succour to the poor, as charity is our primary objective in Lions club,” he stated.
Speaking earlier while handing over the baton of leadership to Lion Barr. Okogie, the outgoing President of Warri Sapphire Lions Club, Lion Eloho Enibueta wished her successor the best of luck, even as she thanked the distinguished members of the club for their unalloyed support during her tenure. The office of the President of the Warri Sapphire Lions Club runs for one year.
In her speech, the mother of the day, Hajia Hamamat Momoh, commended Warri Sapphire Lions Club for meeting the needs of the local communities. She urged the members to sustain the humanitarian gesture in line the club’s objectives.
Speaking on the topic, “the power of empowerment through humanitarian service to our society” the guest speaker, Comr. Emeka Nwokocha, an erudite mass communication scholar and journalist, described the increasing rate of poverty in Nigeria as worrisome, noting that the inglorious status of Nigeria as the world poverty capital as reported by the Brooking Institution, portends serious humanitarian crisis if critical and urgent measures were not taken to reduce poverty through creation of jobs for the teeming unemployed youths.
He commended Lions Club for making huge sacrifice to give succour to the needy in the society, noting that empowerment programmes targeted at building capacity in the youths over the years had been reported to have created opportunities for the beneficiaries to start their own businesses and trade with which they eke a living without waiting for unavailable white collar jobs.
Using the Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES) for poverty eradication in Minna, Niger state and the UNDP sponsored Youth Empowerment Programme (YEP) in the Niger delta region as case studies, Comr. Nwokocha noted that a well coordinated empowerment programmes would boost the entrepreneural capacity of the youths which would translate into private business initiatives and by extension, employment of labour. He enjoined Lions club to sustain their humanitarian service to the Nigerian society, even as he charged other non-governmental organisations, and other stakeholders in the Nigerian project to replicate the humanitarian drive of the Lions club for the betterment of the society.
Present at the colourful occasion were members of Lions club, and dignitaries from all walks of life which include, the Mother of the Day, Princess Hajia Hamamat Momoh; Charter President, Lion Shola Mese; Region Nine Chairperson, Lion Linna Onowhosa;
immediate past Region Nine Chairperson, Lion Lawrence Sokoh;
District Cabinet Secretary 2, Lion Barry Eboma; Club Presidents from Warri Oil City; Warri Ruby; Warri Opal and Senior Lions.
