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LAGOS Golden Hearts Lions Club
On Sunday, June 16th, 2024, the Lagos Golden Hearts Lions Club hosted the installation of Lion Dr. Chief Oyin Francess Zarat Adegbite as the Charter President, along with the installation of other charter officers and members for the 2024 Lions year. The event took place at the Watercress Hotel, off Awolowo Way, opposite Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
The ceremony commenced with the National Anthem, followed by the Lions Prayer and the recitation of the Lions International Code of Ethics. The Master of Ceremonies then acknowledged the distinguished guests, including Lion Samson Abodunrin, the pioneer District Governor, Comrade Joseph Evah, Chief Charles Anyiam Osigwe and his wife.
Series of speeches followed the introduction. The Committee Chairperson delivered a speech where in he explained the importance of the moment and stated his excitement for the change that is about to happen in their club, while the Chairman explained the importance of service and leadership within the Lions Club. The District Governor congratulated Lion Dr. Chief Zarat Adegbite, encouraging her to lay a strong foundation of service for future leaders to build upon and pledged his support to her. Guest Speaker Comrade Joseph Evah also congratulated the Charter President and wished her a successful tenure, as did Chief Charles Anyiam Osigwe.
The ceremony continued with the induction of 26 new charter members and the installation of 12 charter officers. The positions installed included 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Service Chairperson, Marketing Communication Chairperson, Membership Chairperson, Club Administrator, Tail Twister, Tamer, Director 1, and Director 2.
Lion Dr. Chief Oyin Francess Zarat Adegbite’s biography was read, noting that she joined the Lions Club in 2020 and quickly rose through the ranks by serving in various capacities. A notable achievement during her tenure as President of Lagos Diamond Heritage was the spearheading a project that established a sick bay at the Police Children’s School in Satellite Town which was a resounding success.
In her Acceptance Speech, she revealed how happy she is to serve as the Charter President of the Lions Club of Lagos Golden Hearts for the Lions year 2023/2024. “For that I thank all members for their support. I mean that sincerely and literally”.
“It is my hope that we work in harmony together and increase the level of visibility of our club to the wider community. I look forward, in my capacity as the charter president to our Club continuing its distinguished tradition of services to our community under the Theme “Alive To The Needs”.
It is my determination to work in close co-operation and collaboration with all the members by respecting your ideas through accepting diversity. Life is always moving forward, nothing ever remains the same”.
“Yet most people do not manage to change effectively and positively. As Lions let us be agents for Change. Our project should give us a leg – up and touch peoples lives in a deep and lasting way. Let us continue to grow young and old in harmony ready to face the challenges”.
“I am standing in front of you all, delivering my view, and most importantly my Acceptance Speech. As I look to the many curious and staring eyes on me, I believe the coming year will bring more sleepless nights but with strong team spirit and strong membership support bonding, we are sure to record success on the drive to our service to humanity”.
“I will like to take a moment to thank them, without whom I can confidently say I would not have been here today. That’s my family. My husband has been playing very significant role in my Lionism life and especially my presence here, being in front of you could not have happened without his backing”.
I would also like to extend my gratitude to the eminent Club Executives who have gone through a service journey with me from Lagos Diamond Heritage Lions Club to our brand new club project” Lagos Golden Hearts LC, I appreciate you all”.
It is an absolute honor and privilege to stand before you on this graceful occasion and utter the most awaited words”.
“Yes I accept to be the Chartered President of Lagos Golden Hearts Lions Club for the lion year 2023/2024″.
“But a single head achieves nothing. So I am counting on your support to achieve the Growth and Goals I have dreamt for the new baby, our great club. This is truly a moment to be honored and cherished. I accept the appointment with pride and will give my best efforts to make you proud to have selected me”.
“With the grace of God and the co operation of fellow members, I will devote my time to the obligation and the duties of this call”.
“There is an old saying “Do not pray for task equal to your powers, pray for power equal to your task”.
“And the new born is already facing expectation beyond belief. At the end of the next Lions year, it is my dream and prayer that we will have transformed these possibilities and opportunities into stories of success and triumph.
Lets tell you about the Charter Members of the Lagos Golden Hearts Lions Club. They are: CP Lion Oyin Zarat Francess Adebgite NLCF – Charter President, Lion Godfrey Ovie Gimoh MJF – First Vice President, Lion Blessing Joseph – Second Vice President, Lion Sandra Cece Udeh – Secretary, Lion Anthony Akpa – Treasurer, Lion Mercy Aniogor Gimoh – Markerting & Communication Chairperson, Lion Fidelia Okolie – Tail-twister, Lion Kolawole Osho – Tamer Lion Bassey Peter – Service Chairperson, Lion Emmanuel Nemisinghan – Membership Chairperson, Lion Ocheineyi John – Oiyole – Director 1, Lion Emem Alice Henshaw – Director 2, Lion Amaechi Amaka Lilian – Safety Officer, Lion Abiodun Ola-Oluremi, Lion Joseph Bello Owoyonbo, Lion Akande Monday Olusola, Lion Amaka Gloria Daniel, Lion Mbaeze Godwin Nnanna, Lion Udeche Emmanuel Onyebuchi, Lion Onyeaghala Ikenna John, Lion Sunday Chukwumanjo Umeoduagu, Lion Nkechi Agatha Nnamdi, Lion Abigail Nkiru Keboku, Lion Adeyemi Olaolwa Joshua, Lion Udeh Juliet, Lion St. Jude Maduaka, Lion Chinonso Clement Ezeobijiofor, Lion Oviri Oberhiri Destiny, Lion Ekene Calistus Nwizu, Lion Igho Emezulu – Bazunu, Lion Qiang Dong, Lion Leonard Obasi, Lion Ocheze Asuoha, Lion Daniel Daniel Ifeanyi, Lion Ochuko Omiragwa, Lion Emmanuel Chukus Emezulu, Lion Elaine Obukome Ibru, Lion Osita Iyidaja and Uduche Afoma Pamela.
What sort of a person is Lion Dr. Chief Oyin Francess Zarat Adegbite? We can tell you. She was born in Warri/Delta State, to the family of late Mr. Ernest Owei Nernisinghan and Mrs Bernadette Ezonabare Nemisinghan. She is married to Alh. Olaniyi ADEGBITE. She had her primary education at Ihioma Primary School Agbor, proceeded to Marymount College Baptist Girls High School Agbor, for her secondary education.
She obtained Bachelor’s degree in Sociology at the prestigeous Delta State University Abraka in 1998. Lion Dr. Chief Oyin Franccss Zarat Adegbite joined the prestigious Lion Club International in the year 2020, through the Lagos sound mind. She is one of the most rapidly grown Lions in the club. She joined like-minds from the club to charter Lagos Diamond Heritage Lions Club. She has served at various capacities at the Club level before Chartering Lagos Golden Hearts Lions Club in 2023/2024 Lions year.
Her core-project drive was a mega project during her days as the President of Lagos Diamond Heritage. It was members growth/drive and a core project of a Sick bay at Police Children School Satellite Town which became a success.
A drive that also gave birth to a golden project of service, Lagos Golden Hearts Lions Club.
She is presently a Zone chair person with the district, 4040B4, under the District Governor Lion Engr. Taiwo Fatoki MJF, NLCF, for the Lions year 2024/2025.
She has attended and participated locally and internationally in several Lions, organised seminars, webinar leadership workshops and trainings. She has also attended all the district and national convention since she joined the Lions Club. She is also a graduate of the Advance Lions Leadership Institute.
The journey of service has earned her several awards and recognition even before she became a Lion.
She came into limelight as a Super Humanitarian during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in Nigeria, and it all started at Aswani Police Division in Lagos State Command, when officers of the force were confined to the barracks due to the lockdown restrictions. She started catering for the officers in the station by cooking and sharing food to the officers who had challenges of feeding during the period.
Dr. Oyin, as popularly known, continued the act of feeding of the Police Officers almost on a daily basis, little did she know that other members of the Isolo Community close to Aswani Division, was coming to take a share of the food at the station, until her Personal Assistant identified a member of the community who came to share from Oyin’s humanitarian gesture. She intervened and asked her PA to allow anyone, be it Police Officer or civilians to share from the food. That singular incident made her to realize that people within the community were coming for her food and she decided to cater for the entire community to alleviate their challenges. She extended her kind gesture to 3 other communities she had worked in the past namely, Isolo, Ikeja and Ago, including Aswani Division, for 1,500 people. Some of the items shared apart from cooked and raw food, included COVID kits, hand sanitizers, nose masks, T-shirts and other palliatives.
The attention of the public and the media was drawn as Oyin and her entourage were moving from Aswani Division to other communities, NTA crew and other media houses came and they insisted to cover it. She initially refused but later allowed them to cover it having confirmed it was not a breach of rule of engagement as senior officer. The narratives changed as Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria (CRAN) gave her Humanitarian award of the year in Nigeria, followed by Lagos Sound Minds Lions Club who also gave her award in 2020 for humanitarians’ services.
