As the new Rotary year begins, Rotary Club of Akowonjo has promised not to relent on its oars in community development by providing multi-million naira modern day borehole water facilities to communities within Akowonjo and the renovation of dilapidated classroom structures at the State Senior High School Alimosho, in the Alimosho Local Government area of Lagos State as its priority projects for the Rotary year 2021/2022.
Speaking at the Presidential Handover Ceremony and Awards Night which took place recently at the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja amidst pomp and pageantry, witnessed by Rotary dignitaries from the Rotary International District 9110, Rotarians from other clubs, guests and friends; the new President of Rotary Club of Akowonjo, Rotarian Victor Amaraegbu told reporters that in continuing with the good work past presidents of the club have done for over thirty five years especially his predecessor, Rotarian Olamide Abegunde, he will make the club proud by ensuring that all the areas of focus for Rotary are adequately covered with quality projects and programmes within the year.
In his acceptance speech as the new president of the club, Rotarian Victor Amaraegbu said “it was with great delight on behalf of myself and the entire board of directors, that I welcome you all to the new Rotary year full of happiness and success in our personal and professional lives”.
According to him, “having reviewed Rotary Club of Akowonjo’s performance and achievements in the past six years, we are compelled to set new objectives and priorities for the future of the club and it is a collective responsibilities to commit ourselves to implementing them” noting “ to this end, I shall be inaugurating an implementation committee that will be assigned specific roles and task to evaluate our goals on monthly basis in this Rotary year and draw up a five year roadmap that will see us lead in the district once again”.
Rotarian Amaraegbu reeled out his plan for the Rotary year and areas of intervention of the club which included “organise skills awareness programs and partnering with mini companies within Akowonjo and beyond; organise security awareness program tagged “security my business” in the Akowonjo community, organise schools’ debate competition among the four interact clubs sponsored by Rotary club of Akowonjo with the best school going home with a cup and the best student to be sponsored by the club for WAEC/GCE exams and organise a special programme with focus on helping the Nigerian girl child”.
Others according to the president included but not limited to “visits and donations to Little Saints Orphanage, provision of mosquito nets, hand sanitizers, Rotary branded nose masks and other health equipment to Bola Tinubu Health Centre, Polio Awareness Walk, cleaning of markets and drainages within the Akowonjo community in conjuction with the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and a mega induction of the first batch of 5 members to the club in August.
Rotarian Victor Amaraegbu who is the 36th president of the club stated that “you will agree with me that we have a lot to do in our society and we can only achieve that much with good number of members like they say “the more the merrier” adding that “with this, I challenge us to join in singing the new mantra Each 1 Bring 1.”
The president admonished club members saying “let us begin this Rotary year by re-committing ourselves to the values of respect, openness and compassion that defines us as Rotarians by coming together as friends, brothers, sisters and putting community first, to build a brighter tomorrow for everyone” He used the occasion of the handover event to solicit for support and continued understanding as “we serve to change lives.
In his farewell speech, the immediate past president of the club, Rotarian Olamide Abegunde gave account of his twelve months stewardship, pointing out the various projects he executed with the support of his board of directors but particularly referenced the renovation and commissioning of a two-classroom buildings at State Senior High School Alimosho, in the Alimosho Local Government area of Lagos State, a project which he said the new president, Rotarian Victor Amaraegbu promised to continue with in the new Rotary year and the formation of two additional Rotary and two Interact clubs within the year.
The highpoints of the handover ceremony was the induction of two new Rotarians into the club, awards presentation to supportive members of the public cum Rotarians and funds-raising to give good financial muscle to the new president and his board of directors to steer the ship of the club with for the next twelve months.
