By Hassan Zaggi
The Lions Club International (Multiple District 404 Nigeria), has donated N3 million to the federal government to support the fight against Covid-19.
A statement by the Director Press at the Federal Ministry of Health, Olujimi Oyetomi, has disclosed.
While receiving the cheque in Abuja, yesterday, the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, applauded the group for the support.
He noted that considering the challenges the country was facing in an effort to halt the spread of the Covid-19, the N3 million will go a long way.
According to Ehanire: “We are facing what has been described as the greatest public health challenge which was not known some 6 to 8 months earlier.
“It has become very devastating not only to the health of many; going to 6 million people worldwide now are affected, with a huge number of lives lost.
“Our country here is over 9, 000 with a large number of lives lost with many who are sick.
“And the frustrating part of it is that you have to be at your wits end because nobody knows where it is going or how it is going, we try to plot it.”
Ehanire said the reasons he gave are among others why assistance from anywhere or any person or group would be appreciated and reckoned for judicious application to wage the war on the pandemic.
The Lions Club, however, disclosed that the N3 million was donated on behalf of the Nigeria Lions Clubs Foundation and the Council of Governors headed by the Multiple Council Chairperson Alhaji Abiodun Adediji, to support the fight against COVID-19.
The leader of the delegation, Lion Lami Onayi Ahmed, who is also the Past Council Chairperson, Lions Clubs International Multiple District 404 Nigeria, explained that the Club is a Charity, Non-Governmental Organization founded by Melvin Jones in 1917 in Chicago USA.
The organization, according to her, has spread to over 210 countries with membership of over 1.4 million across the globe.
The Lions Club Leader also gave the thematic areas of her Club to include helping the impaired to have back their vision; addressing issues of Diabetic patients; Childhood- cancer; addressing issues of Hunger; issues of youth, environment and health sensitization.
