Thursday, March 25, 2021 marked an epoch in the history of care for the elderly in Nigeria and Africa as men and woman of timber and caliber gathered at the Conference Hotel in Abeokuta and all over the world via Zoom for the official launching of the JBS Elderly Health and Wellbeing Foundation. As the name implies, it is a foundation that takes care of the elderly. “Tagged Adopt a Gran Programme”, the event focused on how the poor, neglected and destitute elderly would be financially, materially and emotionally catered to. City People’s DAMILARE SALAMI 08155134152 and Senior Photojournalist, Abdulrasheed Sanni were there and they bring you full details of all that went down there, enjoy.
ABOUT JBS ELDERLY HEALTH & WELLBEING FOUNDATION
JBS Elderly Health & Wellbeing Foundation Africa has been set up to enhance/improve the quality of life of underprivileged older persons in Sub-Saharan Africa and to work for their causes of underprivileged older persons in Nigeria and Africa by extension, to improve their quality of life. It is committed to helping the less privileged elderly in Nigeria and Africa by preventing unnecessary suffering, pain and disability with its medical outreach programmes.
CEO JBS MEDICAL SERVICE AND CONVENER, JBS ELDERLY HEALTHANDWELLBEING FOUNDATION WELCOMED GUESTS
Olutoyin Ajala is a Consultant Geriatrician currently working in the UK’s National Health Service and she has been working at the frontline of the COVID-19 response as a frontline Senior Physician since March 2020. She is also CEO of JBS Medicare Services in Nigeria, a specialist in elderly medicine, nursing and therapy services. She is the brain behind the JBS Elderly Wellbeing and Health Foundation; having conceived the bright idea about 15 years ago, she finally birth her long-term dream. She welcomed the guests in her address and sold her vision out. She also revealed what the foundation has been able to achieve within its few months of establishment.
AJOSE FOUNDATION FULLY ON GROUND
Ajose Foundation was founded and run by the First Lady of Ogun State, Mrs Bamidele Abiodun. The Ajose Foundation was launched to make life better for every man, woman and child in Ogun state, build a future in Ogun State, where everyone can thrive and add value to their community. It envisions a future where every man, woman and child in Ogun State can have the means to make life better for themselves and their community. It fully supported the JBS Elderly Health and Wellbeing Foundation launch with both human and material resources. The First Lady herself was present at the event and equally delivered a speech. Let’s also quickly tell you that she is the patron of the JBS Elderly Health and Wellbeing Foundation.
FORMER HEALTH MINISTER, PROF ISAAC ADEWOLE DELIVERED KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Prof Isaac Adewole was a former Nigerian Minister of Health from November 2015 – May 2019. He was also a former vice-chancellor of the University of Ibadan and President of the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer. Prior to his appointment as the 11th substantive Vice-Chancellor of the university, he served as provost at the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, the largest and oldest medical school in Nigeria. He is the only Nigerian professor appointed as a member of the Council of the Association of Commonwealth Universities. In his keynote address, he noted that this is the first time an individual is involved in care for the elderly in the country outside the government. He called for more participation from private individuals and noted that intermediate and long-term care for the elderly is a necessity in our society.
On the way forward, Prof Adewole asserts that the current system does not recognize the elderly and it doesn’t care for it. Therefore, there is a need to train healthcare workers to pay more attention to the elderly.
OGUN STATE HEALTH COMMISSIONER, DRTOMI COKER WAS PRESENT TOO
Dr Tomi Coker trained at several prestigious Teaching Hospitals in London, including St Mary’s Paddington and Queen Charlotte Hospital respectively. In pursuit of her professional career, Dr Tomi Coker underwent her Fetal Medicine training at Kings College Hospital, London under the globally renowned Professor Kypros Nicolaides. She was appointed as a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist at West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust in 2003. She has a wide range of surgical skills, being the lead female Obstetrician and Gynecologist in West Hertfordshire NHS Trust, where she has worked for 16 years and rose to the post of Clinical Director. She has a keen interest in Clinical Governance and Risk.
Dr Tomi Coker has a passion for promoting female well-being globally, hence her role as the Vice-Chair of the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynecology-Nigeria Liaison Group, which collaborates with local professional bodies in advocacy and the promotion of women’s health in developing countries with a focus on Africa.
She equally addressed the guests at the JBS Elderly Health & Wellbeing Foundation launch. There, she spoke about the government’s readiness and full support for the foundation. She also lauded Dr Toyin Ajala’s approach to solving a major social problem faced by the senior citizens in the country.
OTUNBA BIMBO ASHIRU LED THE LAUNCH
Otunba Bimbola Ashiru was a former Commissioner in Ogun State from 2011- 2020. He is a man with a desire for developing people around him, and this translated into his appointment as the representative of the Awujale of Ijebuland on the Ijebu Development Initiative on Poverty Reduction (IDIPR). He has distinguished himself in this field and represented his people favorably to the best of his ability. He was also on the Technical and Communications Committees of the 17th Nigerian Economic Summit (2011). He is well-read, graduating with a degree in Marketing, Purchasing & Supply, and a Masters’ Degree in Strategic Management. With this background, he entered the services of the then Chartered Bank in the year 1989.
He is a member of the board of trustees at the JBS Elderly Health & Wellbeing Foundation launch. He led the fundraising which was also coordinated on Zoom. He showed strong support for the founder, Dr Toyin Ajala whom he said he has known from a very young age to be so passionate about the senior citizens.
THE ZOOM LAUNCH WAS ACTIVE TOO
Did we tell you that the event also held virtually? Yes, it did. Veteran actress, Ajoke Silver, Emeritus Prof Oluwole Akande, Engr. Mansur Ahmed, a Group Executive Director at Dangote Group of companies, Gillian Joseph, an international broadcaster with over 30 years experience on the job and a Sky News presenter were among those who presented their contributions on Zoom.
OGUN STATE FIRST LADY PRESENTS GIFTS TO THE ELDERLY
Mrs Bamidele Abiodun wouldn’t leave the event without letting the older adults present feel her impacts and that of her Ajose foundation. She closed the event with a presentation of gifts that include food items and other home materials. The four older adults who got the gifts were full of praises for the First Lady, the Ajose foundation and the JBS Elderly Health & Wellbeing Foundation for providing the platform.
OGD BREEZED IN
A former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel was among the top dignitaries that honored the JBS Elderly Health & Wellbeing Foundation launch with their presence. Although he didn’t stay for so long, OGD was at the event before the start and exchanged pleasantries with their presence.
ROLL CALL
Present at the event was Mrs Bamidele Abiodun, Ogun State First Lady and Patron of the JBS Elderly Health & Wellbeing Foundation. Emeritus Prof Oluwole Akande, Prof Isaac Adewole, ex-Minister of Health, Mrs Victoria Oluomo, wife of the Ogun State House of Assembly Speaker, Otunba Bimbo Ashiru, Ogun State ex-Commissioner, Ajoke Silver, veteran actor, Mrs Olukemo Ashiru, seasoned Lawyer and Director, JBS Elderly Health & Wellbeing Foundation.
Others are Engr. Mansur Ahmed, a Group Executive Director at Dangote Group of Companies, Mrs Ansa Ogu, seasoned Health Professional and Director, JBS Elderly Health & Wellbeing Foundation. Gillian Joseph, International Presenter, Sky News UK.
