Thursday, March 28, 2024

Osun corps member expends N.3m “allowee” on renovating abandoned maternity centre

…donates foodstuff, other items to orphanage

member of the National Youth Service Corps in Osun State, Mr. Ali Ado Abubakar, has renovated an abandoned government-owned maternity centre at Oba-Oke in Olorunda Local Government Area of the state as parts of his individual community development service project.

To achieve this feat, Abubakar had to save his monthly allowances totaling N381, 900 to be able to finance the project.

This maternity centre, our correspondent gathered is the only health facility in the town and had been in a state of disrepair before Abubakar, with service number OS/16B/4965, renovated it.

Before now, if any of our children fell ill, we wouldn’t bring him or her here (maternity) because it was not in good condition, but now, we are visiting it for treatment. Thanks to our corps member

The corps member, who hails from Bagwai Local Government Area of Kano State, studied Accounting at the Bayero University Kano, and had his primary assignment at a private school, Sundest Progressive College, Osogbo.

The orphans at Abiye Orphanage Home, Osogbo were also touched by Abubakar’s generosity, when he donated foodstuff, sanitary items, learning materials and baby toys to them.

The vulnerable children, who could not hide their excitement at Abubakar’s generous donations, thanked him by displaying placards bearing inscriptions such as: “Thank You Ado Abubakar for helping the vulnerable,” “Thank You For The Food Items.”

Abubakar also visited some secondary schools in the state and distributed textbooks, and national flag to the students. The corps member also donated first aid boxes and sensitised the students on prevention of HIV/AIDS.

The corps member also created Sustainable Development Goals club in some secondary schools in the state.

Speaking during the inauguration of Abubakar’s Oba-Oke Maternity renovation project on October 24, 2017, the traditional ruler of the town, Oloba-Oke of Oba-Oke land, Oba Adam Iyiola Bamidele Yusuff, expressed happiness and commended the corps member for giving the maternity centre a facelift.

Oba Yusuff said the indigenes of the town had for long stopped taking treatment at the health centre due to its decrepit state. The traditional ruler disclosed that most people in the community had been traveling to Osogbo to seek medical attention, but since the maternity centre was renovated by the corps member, it had been attracting better patronage and attention from the residents.

He said, “I am so happy because this is a good thing happening in my domain. When this corps member visited my palace to tell me of his intention to renovate this maternity centre, I was initially skeptical of its possibility because this is a corps member that relies on allowance for sustenance. But I believe that whatever has been committed to God, will be possible.

“We made efforts and supported him and it was possible. This renovation will encourage and attract residents of the community to make use of this health facility. The way this maternity was in total disrepair, most people in this town thought they couldn’t receive any treatment in this maternity because of how it looked, but now it’s looking appealing; people have been feeling signs of healing on visiting it. It has to do with the psychological effect.”

The monarch then appealed to the state government to build a better hospital so that residents of the community would not need to rush ailing people to the far away state capital for treatment.

“During the time of Bola Ige, he (Bola Ige) started a hospital, but it has been abandoned since 1983. We want the state government to visit the abandoned hospital project and complete it. I also want other corps members to emulate Abubakar’s initiatives and generosity,” he appealed.

The Zonal Inspector, Osogbo Zone of NYSC, Mr. Kayode Ola Peters, described the renovation of the maternity by the corps member as satisfactory, saying the health centre had been begging for attention.

The zonal inspector, therefore, encouraged other corps members to take a cue from this project and identify where they could contribute in developing the communities they had been posted for the service year.

For the Head of the Unit at the maternity centre, Mrs. Kupoluyi Roseline, the state government needed to complement the corps member’s efforts by provising the facility with drugs.

“We always ask patients to get drugs outside in order to treat them. If government can provide this maternity with necessary drugs, it will really bring about quality services, with the way this maternity is now looking,” she said.

One of the Community Health Extension Workers at the maternity, Mrs. Felicia Oguntayo, said all the rooms at the centre were renovated by the Corps member including the labour room, rest room and offices.

“This place is now beautiful. All the rooms were renovated. The labour room was completely worn out, but now it’s looking fine. He also renovated four wards and offices. Also, labour room and rest room. Also, benches were repaired,” she said.

Our correspondent gathered that the maternity centre was constructed in 2002 by the administration of a former chairman of Olorunda Local Government Area, Hon. Sola Owoseni.

One of the pregnant women who visited the maternity for their antenatal, Mrs. Alice Adija commended the efforts of the corps member saying, “Before now, if any of our children fell ill, we wouldn’t bring him or her here (maternity) because it was not in good condition, but now, we are visiting it for treatment. Thanks to our corps member.”

Abubakar said he spent N381,900 on the maternity project, disclosing that the monarch of the town supported him alongside corporate bodies like Armstrong Paint Nig. Ltd and Nazeem Oil and Gas Nig. Ltd.

Though Abubakar did not have his primary assignment at Oba-Oke, he explained that he chose to leave the urban area he was posted for the rural area like Oba-Oke because most people in rural areas rarely had access to quality
medical care.

He added that he spotted the badly looking maternity centre, when he visited a friend in the
town.

“Since I saw it, I resolved to renovate it because I got to understand that this is the only maternity that caters for the town’s primary medical needs. To me, it was an eyesore and I decided to renovate it. I thank God for seeing this project to completion. I also appreciate the efforts of those who sponsored the project in one way or the other. I expended N381,900 for the project,” the corps member disclosed.

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