JCI Abuja Unity Deworms 2,400 kids In Dape Abuja To Mark Children’s Day

The 8,000 residents / indigenes of Dape Village in FCT today May 27th , 2011 heaved a sigh of relief as they were remembered since the inception of the FCT in 1973, despite being at the backyard of the FCT Minister Official Residence located at Live Camp Abuja. The searchlight came via a health intervention visit Junior Chamber Intl JCI Abuja Unity Nigeria, when they visited this abandoned community to celebrate with the 2,400 children resident there as part of its programme to mark the Children’s day celebration which coincided with President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s inauguration Week Programme. According to the Chapter President, JCIN Cllr Sharon Akuboh ” the choice of Dape community was to celebrate these  kids who are in the midst of so much yet cut off from all the good things of life” ” We decided to collaborate with the national leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ and GlaxoSmithKline Plc makers of the famous worm expellant Zentel to de-worm the kids” Befor now , according to the traditional ruler of Dape, HRH James Ibrahim Luku, ” we have never witnessed such attention , im almost moved to tears by your organisation’s show of love to us. We have been abandoned and fo0rgotten by governments upon government.” ” We are greatful to the National leadership of JCI Nigeria under JCIN Amb Julius Mmejim , for this organisation which i was made to understand is in 120 countries and over 6,000 communities and has today given me and my people hope for a better tomorrow. We are happy that you have done what government has not done for us.” He noted that “We lacked pipe borne water until some private individuals drilled 3 commercial bore holes in Dape and for our population this is inadequate. Same too we dont have a school and urgently require a medical health center because we have lost alot of my people due to distance from the nearest hospital and our children trek distance to go to school and at times get knocked down by vehicles.” he lamented. He therefore congratulated and  pleaded with the in coming government under President Jonathan ” to treat the case of Dape with prompt attention as these 8,000 Nigerians also deserve a right to schools, medical health centers, electricity and water.We urgently need a school because a people without knowledge and education perish.” The Director of Community JCI Abuja Unity, Mrs Chy David, while responding on behalf of the Chapter President reassured the traditional ruler whose palace was the venue for the deworm exercise that Abuja Unity was already on a campaign to raise funds and drill a borehole for Dape people, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility.She called on Nigerians to please contribute to the building of a block of school for Dape and for the drilling of a borehole. Earlier the traditional ruler hinted that electricity was being installed in Dape village after almost 28 years of being in darkness we run on generator, he said a Councillor from Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC had visited them during campaign and promised to do it and within the project he had visited twice. In a message from the Leadership of NUJ in Nigeria, Comrade Shuaibu Leman , the National Secretary on behalf of the Union,commended JCI Abuja Unity 2011 leadership for coming up with this project that has touched the lives of many while assuring that the Union would continue to support such noble course. He called on Nigerians to support the JCI Abuja Unity to put smiles on the faces of Dape indigenes. He also thanked GlaxoSmithKline Plc for taking the lead. Being overwhelmed by the number of people in the community the Chapter President assured the people that JCI Abuja Unity will be back in June to deworm the adults too and said ” by God’s grace we will bring the FCT Minister and the AMAC Chairman to your community while explaining that it is important for people to de-worm themselves at least twice in a year while three times is not a bad idea. While she thanked the ruler for giving the Chapter the opportunity to touch the lives of the community she also thanked the 12 members of the LOM who made out time to attend and the major sponsors NUJ, potential sponsors GlaxoSmithKline Plc and the media.  ……..it’s been Joy Idam reporting from Abuja, Nigeria

JCI ABUJA UNITY DEWORMS 760 OKADA RIDERS OTHERS AT KARMO MARKET, ABUJA, NIGERIA

JCI Abuja Unity has done it again, this time in line with Adding Values in the Month of September 2011, the Junior Chamber International, JCI Abuja Unity was at Karmo Market a suburb  in Abuja and it was on a very delightful note that JCI Abuja Unity members turned out in their number to participate in this the exercise. Addressing the okada riders the Local Organisation President Sharon Akuboh hinted that the idea to deworm them came from a ride she took with one of their members and he did not know what it meant to have worms or the source, she explained to them in hausa that worms could be gotten from water, fruits, beef, vegetables. Thus Akuboh noted that “we must ensure that we regularly deworm ourselves as a lack of it can lead to several complications. We should strive to remain healthy for our family being bread winners.” While the exercise was going on some passersby came mostly women and before we knew it the place was filled with children, aged people and several other people. The venue was the Old Karmo popular bus stop; amazingly even those who were waiting for buses took time out to take their single dose of the Zolart worm expellant by Emzor. So did some of the police officers on duty at the bus stop. A drama that occurred at the venue was the fact that initially on arrival most of the okada riders we met were of northern and muslim background and so were skeptical of taking the drug, when they now saw other Nigerians and the Christian okada riders taking the zolart they too quickly joined the que and got. Some of them that spoke with our reporters revealed this was their first time in life the sponsorship came mostly from members of the Local Organisation to purchase the drugs. Our  next stop is at a fulani settlement …..join us

It’s been Joy Idam reporting from Abuja.

JCI ABUJA UNITY DEWORMS KOGI STATE LIAISON OFFICE WORKERS IN ABUJA, NIGERIA

The Junior Chamber International, JCI Abuja Unity this Friday at Abuja de-wormed staff of the the Kogi State liaison office Abuja. As part of its Plan of Action for 2011.

Receiving the members of JCI Abuja Unity, in his office The Permanent Secretary in charge of the Abuja Liaison office, Mr Abraham Akale, told the members that ” im indeed delighted on behalf of me and the entire staff of the House to welcome you here and to appreciate you for coming to enlighten us on the need to regularly deworm our selves as some of us never knew the implications before.”

Be rest assured that the State will partner with JCI Abuja  Unity to introduce the organisation to our youth so as to get them focused early in life and get them to render service to humanity.

”He commended the efforts of the Chapter in deworming other people such as Okada riders, children in Dape Community and drill a borehole for them, as well as giving out soft financial funds to women with small business and the plans to do more. All part of the Plan of Action of Abuja Unity”. 

Earlier in her speech the 2011 Chapter President for JCI Abuja Unity, JCIN CLLR Sharon Akuboh, told the staff of Abuja Kogi State Liaison Office that she decided to commence this special exercise with Kogi State Liaison Office being an indigene of Ecewu in Bassa Local Government Area of Kogi State.

Akuboh told the staff that “JCI Abuja Unity had decided to take a break from deworming people in the suburbs to come back to the city center as she was amazed to discover after an interactive session with well educated people that they did not know that people should deworm themselves 3 times in a year”

According  to Akuboh she explained that ” we pick this worms from water, beef, fruits , vegetables and other source and leaving it in the body for long could lead to some damage of major organs of the body as most of this worms are known to harm its host over time if not gotten rid of”

She charged the staff to regularly go for general health check ups and to ensure they deworm members of their family in a year. Adding that Abuja Unity will be delighted to regularly do it for them, while urging them to pass on the message to friends and loved ones.

“Akuboh said Abuja Unity had agreed at its General Assembly to ensure that enough advocacy on the need for regular deworming is done to as many agencies as possible to this end it has target Media Houses, parastatals, and all the Liaison Offices in Abuja. She informed them that JCI Abuja Unity had dewormed the over 100 delegates who attended the joint Area C and D Conference held at the new Keffi Hotel Abuja”.

She also requested the Liaison Officer to convey appreciation the Governor and his wife who came to the rescue of Kamilu Iliyasu and Elijah Sani when JCI Abuja Unity in Collaboration with Childhood Cancer Foundation came running to the Governor and he donated N5million naira for their surgery at Fortis Hospital India.

“Earlier she had also informed the Liason Officer that Abuja Unity will go to Kogi to carry out deworming exercise once we get the green light to come to the State. We will want to partner with the Ministry of Health and Youth Affairs to do this”
         
In a related development the Executive Vice President of JCI Nigeria Area C , JCIN Amb Olabisi Aniso explained that JCI is a world wide Federation of young active citizens between age 18 – 40 located in over 6000 communities adding values to their host community and present in 120 countries.

Amb Aniso noted that Abuja Unity has been known since its inception in 2006 to add values in the areas of Deworming, Zebra markings and support to the less privileged as part of our service to humanity  and most recently support to women with small businesses to boost it.

She commended the Chapter President for doing a good job while adding that JCI Nigeria is very busy adding values within the country. She called on Nigerians to keep partnering with JCIN to make the country a better place while rendering service to humanity.

At the event were the EVP of Abuja Unity,Joe Omadachi, JCIN Amb Joy Idam, the National Editor of The Leader Magazine, and other members of the association it was a huge outing as one of the beneficiary who pleaded told Abuja Unity that ” im 34 years old and i have never been dewormed i never even know there was anything of the sort am very grateful to JCI Abuja Unity for this exposure to a health issue i have neglected”. she said