As part of activities marking his 60th birthday, the former commissioner with the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), Alhaji Musbau Oyefeso, has floated a foundation to sponsor the education of the out-of-school children.
Alhaji seized the opportunity of the occasion to distribute food items to 250 people.
The gesture, he said, was to cushion the effect of economic crisis in the country.
At the event held in his Ijebu-Aiyepe hometown, participants were offered free medical services.
Alhaji Oyefeso’s gesture received accolades from dignitaries including monarchs in the town, state government representatives, religious and community leaders, friends and families.
According to him, the foundation will give every child in that community an opportunity to access quality education.
Alhaji Oyefeso, a lawyer, said: “I discovered that out-of-school children are a matter that is fundamental to our independence. And if we do not address this headlong, it will continue to affect the society.”
He mentioned that the war against insecurity which the government is fighting is caused by a lack of proper education.
“The government is spending a lot on insecurity and it started owing to the lack of proper education of some people which causes lopsidedness between the rich and the less privileged. Government alone cannot tackle the challenges of Nigerians. The wealthy ones should be meticulous in spending, use their wealth to alleviate poverty in the country. No matter how wealthy you are, your resources can never solve the hardship in the country but spend as much as possible to alleviate the suffering of others,” he said.
Husband of Senator Idiat Adebule, Alhaji Saheed Adebule, commended the celebrator for the initiative.
Alhaji Adebule said it was thoughtful of Alhaji Oyefeso to use his birthday celebration to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor.
“Life is about giving, when you give, you’ll have more in return. I’m happy to see him lifting the less privilege and making them happy. He could have thrown a lavish party instead. This is highly commendable,” he said.
Coordinator of Oyefeso Free Medical Outreach, Dr Tijani Olatunji, said over 200 people were diagnosed and most of them were not aware of their poor health status.
He noted that major health issues discovered are non-communicable diseases like hypertension and diabetes.
“Most of the inhabitants of the community are elderly, so we felt that there is need to check their blood pressure and their sugar level. Majority of the people we attended to have severe hypertension; we gave them medication and also refer them to the teaching hospital for further care,” he said.
He urged the governments to come to the aid of the elderly as the cost of drugs is very high.
He advised Nigerians to go for health checkups and ensure that the moment they have any health issues, they should seek medical help from a good facility.
