War Against Polio: Anambra Marks World Polio Day As Philanthropist Empowers Disabled Persons, Obiano Donates N5Million

Sir Emeka Offor distributing Wheel chairs and clutches to challenged people

 

Rep of Gov Obiano , Sir Norbert Obi and VC Unizik, Prof Ahaneku

                              Sir Offor and his team at the event
It was a decisive moment for the people of Anambra state as a whole for the simple fact that the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation(SEOF) through its founder Sir Emeka Offor had in the last couple of years committed itself to ensuring polio is continuously fought to a standstill through massive immunization of children.


During the exercise, Sir Emeka Offor lamented that despite the war against polio across the country and Africa continent in general, Nigeria, unfortunately, still remained of one of the three countries with the prevalence of polio.

According to Rtn. Noble Eshemita who is also the King of Oghora Kingdom, Delta state, the cause has so far yielded much achievement through series of financial commitments by Sir Emeka Offor over the years. Sir Emeka Offor, founder of The Chrome Group, one of Nigeria's leading indigenous multinational businesses believes it is difficult to be a productive member of society when one is sick and so has committed huge
resources through the Sir Emeka
Offor Foundation to make the society a better place to live.

Sir Emeka Offor had ealier explained that his contributions to a number of causes are motivated by his humble origins and as a successful businessman; he enjoys giving in order to help others avoid the circumstances he faced.

There is no gain saying that Sir Emeka Offor has taken the fight against polio to a whole new level and as the first Polio Ambassador of Nigeria and coupled with being Africa's single largest donor to
Rotary, it is clear that the polio scourge has found answers through such rare yet massive commitments.

When asked by reporters on why he took such rare interest in the fight against polio, Offor explained how dangerous polio was to the growth and development of all children and his willingness in
making sure he brought joy, happiness and relief to them through massive vaccination.

"I have witnessed from my relationship with the northern part of the country where I was born and where this virus and sickness fully exist that children are not able to get vaccinated which make
them disabled. When such children grow and walk on the street of most parts of the country, they become beggars as a result of polio.

"That is why I want to make sure this disease is eradicated so that our children will be polio free in this country and the world, Sir Emeka Offor passionately
observed.

Sir Emeka Offor comes not only as a backbone but stands as life support for many of these people who though have a heart but are heartbroken by the vicissitudes of life. With such huge financial commitments dedicated to the social welfare of the poor, Sir Emeka Offor for many has changed the face of philanthropy.

He said that though the present and successive administrations in Nigeria had done very well in the area of health sector in preventing some of the preventable children killer diseases, it was still on record that the country had not come out of the grips of of polio, trailing Pakistan and Afghanistan as the number three countries with polio cases.

 
 Sir Emeka Offor, who is also the highest black donor in the war for the eradication of polio in the world, said that this year’s End Polio programme was unique in the sense that it marked the sad end of the ravaging reign of polio in the country.

He enlighten the people of the Anambra on the need to constantly immunize their children on the fact that it could still be brought into a community or state due to movement of people from one place to the other.

“We have been fighting hard to end the scourge of polio in Nigeria because it is not good that Nigeria as the giant of Africa should be among the three countries where polio could still be found. We can’t be giant of Africa and fall to the hands of polio. We have recorded a great result in the fight against polio.

He urged mothers and pregnant mothers to ensure that their children were immunized properly to avoid the killer diseases, which he said were all preventable if only the mothers played
their roles. He said the immunization was free for all Nigerian children and non-Nigerians living in all parts of the country.

Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State, who was represented by his commissioner for Special Duties, Hon Nobert Obi also commended the efforts of the Rotary International Polio Ambassador in complementing the efforts of his administration to end the deadly reign of polio in the state and in Nigeria at large.

He applauded Sir Emeka Offor, saying the businessman had done well in helping the state government provide health care delivery to the people.
So today, we are witnessing another
landmark achievement of our son who has been on ground to make sure we are free from polio.”

He also pledged the readiness of the state government to always assist Sir Emeka Offor and the Rotary International to make sure the exercise was free and fair for all and achieve all the desired
goals.

Speaking at the event, the Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Prof. Joseph Ahaneku, commended Sir Emeka Offor for taking the bold step towards eradicatin polio in Nigeria and other parts of the world which he said had been the major challenge facing Nigeria in the international arena.

Prof Ahaneku also urged other wealthy
individuals in the society to emulate the
contributions and doggedness of Sir Emeka Offor to help end some of the killer diseases staring Nigerian children in the face, adding that if every
hand was on deck, the nation would overcome the prevalence of diseases.

He urged mothers to take the opportunity to immunize their children against the killer diseases even as promised that the institution he is the head will help in making sure that those physically challenged persons who are mentally fit can gain admission.

High points of the event were the distribution of wheelchairs and crutches to disabled persons.


Meanwhile, the battle for the eradication of polio disease in Nigeria got a boost yesterday with Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, joining Sir Emeka Offor in the fight, with a donation of N5 million.
Obiano donated N5 million in support of polio eradication, when Sir Offor, Rotary International Polio Ambassador to Nigeria, led his team on a courtesy call at the Governor’s Lodge, Awka.
The governor expressed optimism that Anambra and the entire country would soon be certified polio- free as the efforts of Rotary International in the bid to check polio have begun to yield big result.
After announcing his donation, Offor decorated Obiano with the “End Polio Pin,” an honour conferred in recognition of the governor’s assistance towards the eradication of polio, a disease that has been eradicated in most countries of the world except Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Obiano said that his optimism stemmed from the observed efforts of Rotary International in combating the scourge.
Offor led members of his club on the visit as part of activities for this year’s polio week between October 20 and 28.
He had earlier told the governor that Rotary was in the state as part of the activities to mark the polio week that, with distribution of 100 wheelchairs and other mobility materials to people with disability in each of the five South East states.
Offor, who is also the CEO of the Chrome Group, pointed out that Anambra has always taken Rotary Club seriously, adding that his group was in the state to distribute wheelchairs to the less privileged and handicapped persons in the state.
Stressing that he enjoys cordial relationship with Obiano, Offor promised the governor that his group would return to the state to collaborate with the government in the area of agriculture.

Offor further said polio cases that were reduced to three in Nigeria have now gone up to six because of Boko Haram and insurgency disturbances that hindered intervention in the North.
He, however, promised that they would bring polio to zero level by next year.

From Emeka Onwudinjo