Addressing journalists in Lagos, Akinsiku said the investiture is slated for July 10.
According to him, “it is yet another Rotary year and I wish to state here that we are set to go and do all that is required for us to do, as a club, at every given year.”
He stated that the investiture signals the beginning of the Rotary year officially, noting that those who come, would also be availed the opportunity to know how money collected by Rotary is spent on projects they plan to execute.
Akinsiku said the royal father of the day is Oba Kikadejo, stressing that the area of focus for the Rotary year, which had been expanded to seven, was paramount to the club by way of impacting humanity.
He recalled that some years ago, there were just five areas of focus. He said as the need arose, Rotary International decided to add another.
He, however, noted that Rotary is not taking over the responsibility of government or parents. Rather, he said the club is trying to ensure a safer and better environment and society,
The GMD identified basic education and literacy, maternal and child care, peace and conflict resolution, environment, economic empowerment, and water and sanitation as some of the focus areas for the 2022/2023 Rotary year.
Specifically, he disclosed that the club is committed to developing the mind, insisting that there is a need to make education interesting and conducive for children across the board.
To this end, Akinsiku said they are renovating schools, building blocks of classrooms, donating books, laboratory equipment and an ICT laboratory.
He said all these interventions are necessary to take out-of-school children back to school. “Do you know that some children stopped going to school because there are no classrooms? They get to school and sit under the tree to learn. So, Rotary steps into such situation, build a block of classroom and this way, keep them in school,” he said.
Speaking further, he said maternal and child care was another key area of intervention for the club.
The incoming president said members of the club usually visit the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) every Christmas to put smiles on children, women and pregnant women.
He noted that the club is also promoting a sustainable environment for the society.
To him, the environment is the nation’s heritage, “it is our future. The way we treat our environment is how we would be treated by the same environment tomorrow.
“We engage in tree planting and sanitation to ensure that the environment is properly taken care of. We also organise seminars, and workshops on climate change and how to make the environment friendly,” he said.
According to him, Rotary has also been involved in peace and conflict resolution, adding that the club would not wait for conflicts to escalate before doing the needful.
Continuing, he revealed that the club would confer awards on two prominent Nigerians for their outstanding contributions to the development of education in the country.
The prominent personalities, he said, are the Managing Director of Troyka Holdings, Dr. Biodun Shobanjo and the Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Elizade University, Chief Michael Ade-Ojo.
