Friday, 29th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

Rotary Club of Maryland hosts polio touch

By Isaac Taiwo
22 April 2015   |   1:25 am
THE passion to eradicate the endemic polio in the world has motivated the Rotary Club of Maryland, Lagos to be the first Rotary club in Nigeria to celebrate the arrival of Polio Touch from India in an event that took place at Planet One, Maryland.
District Secretary, Layi Abidoye (right); Bola Oyebade; President, Dapo Ogunlola; District Governor, Dr. Dele Balogun; and Chairman, Organizing Committee, Jide Ogunjimi at the event.

District Secretary, Layi Abidoye (right); Bola Oyebade; President, Dapo Ogunlola; District Governor, Dr. Dele Balogun; and Chairman, Organizing Committee, Jide Ogunjimi at the event.

THE passion to eradicate the endemic polio in the world has motivated the Rotary Club of Maryland, Lagos to be the first Rotary club in Nigeria to celebrate the arrival of Polio Touch from India in an event that took place at Planet One, Maryland.

The celebration that turned out to be a fundraising event to complement the fight in exterminating polio from the three remaining countries where it still exist namely: Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria, was witnessed by top officials of Rotary International, District 9110 including the District Governor, Dr. Dele Balogun.

Balogun lauded the love demonstrated by members in celebrating the arrival of polio touch and disclosed that it was an opportunity to let Nigerians know that the polio touch/flame was actually celebrating India’s polio-free environment, which poses a big challenge to end polio in Nigeria.

“This is an inspiration and motivation for us in Rotary to let Nigerians know that eradication of polio in the world is possible. Now that we are 99 percent successful in eradicating polio in the world, I think we should just be determined to kick the virus out of the world completely.

“We thank Nigerians who have supported us in the last 25 years and we are hereby soliciting for every parent to ensure that their children are reached during the next immunization exercise.”

He described Rotary Club of Maryland as very luck club that first made the request to host the polio touch and lauded the Club and its members for the attention and enthusiasm with which they received the touch.
In his comment, the President of the Club, Dapo Ogunlola premised the significance of hosting the polio touch on raising funds to eradicate polio in Nigeria.

“In actual fact, this touch was supposed to have been received by President Goodluck Jonathan but due to the current political situation in the country, he could not and so, the Rotary International, District 9110 has to take up the task while the first Rotary President to receive the touch flame is my humble self.

“We feel proud and lucky to not just to be the first club to receive the touch in District 9110 but in Nigeria.
“The touch would be going to several Rotary Clubs and they would be raising funds. Here today, we were able to raise N5,000 dollars in addition to one thousand dollars we have already raised making it N6,000 dollars we have raised to fight polio.

“We believe that by the time ten clubs do that, we would be able to raise N50,000 dollars which would make a significant impact in eradicating polio in Nigeria.

“The Club is made up of vibrant and young professionals, hence, we believe we can garner our resources together and support polio eradication” he said.

In his comment, Bola Oyebade said the Club felt proud to receive the touch first and very soon polio would be a thing of the past in Nigeria too.

0 Comments