At the investiture of the 43rd President of 404A3 Ikorodu Doyen Lions Club, the speaker of Ondo state house of Assembly, Alma mater of St Joseph College in Ondo state 80/85 set honoured their classmate Lion Engineer Oluwole Olabode who was installed as the new President in Lagos.
Rt. Hon Olamide Oladiji the speaker of Ondo state house assembly said he has witnessed several activities of Doyen lions club Ikorodu aimed towards touching the lives of the people, hence, he is glad to honour his secondary school mate that has been elevated as President of an international club.
In an interview with Newsconnect at the event, Oladiji said;
“Ikorodu Doyen Lions club has embarked on so many programs that I have witnessed. I want to advise them to continue in that excellent direction. The President ought to be my mate in the secondary school. I am here to honour him.
“I don’t have any doubt regarding his capacity, I don’t have any doubt regarding is strive, he will be able to sustain the legacy of the club, he is going to take the club to a greater height”.
The speaker urged participants not to completely rely on government, he said the people should look at what they can do for each other because little drops of water make the mighty ocean.
Dr Wale Adeniranye who is also an old student of st Joseph college Ondo state in an interview with journalists at the event expressed his feelings of having his best friend emerged as the President of Lions club. In his words, he said;
“We were classmates over forty years ago, it is such a pleasant thing that my classmate is being installed as the President of an international club. Lions club of Ikorodu.
“It is a sense of accomplishment that a classmate has achieved this status in life. One of the things we used to tell ourselves which is missing now is the fact that public school education in Nigeria has been a melting point for everybody.
“I have no doubt that he will achieve a lot. He was a beneficiary of the benevolence of the Lions club. From that standpoint, he is going to make meaningful contribution to the goals and objectives of the club. He knows where he is coming from”. He said.
The immediate past president of 404A3 Ikorodu Doyen Lions Club, Lion Temitayo Alaba Odubanjo expressed his feeling as he handed over to the new president.
In his words, he said;
“I feel so great because it hasn’t being easy. Most especially due to this economic meltdown. We thank God we are able to meet up the needs of the less privileged in our society during my service year. We don’t have any support from the government, but through the immense support by our members, we were able to touch lives. Most of us are pensioners, we still try as much as possible to do our intervention.
“I wish the new President a successful tenure as he kick-starts impact legacies in the lives of people”.
The district Governor for district 404A3 Nigeria Dr Folasade Shotomiwa in a separate Interview at the event gave an overview account of the operations of lions club.
In her words, she said;
“Today is a special day, a day where we meet with people in our own community, in our society to raise fund for the betterment of our neighbors. With lions club, integrity comes first. When you listen to our code of ethics, we preach integrity.
“We often tell our members to be upright and ensure that they put integrity on the front burner. There is a quarterly report that each club is expected to give. There is also a yearly report that we give.
“You give account of your stewardship when you are going. One important thing is this, as a club we operate two accounts. One account is called the administrative account, the second account is called project account. The administrative account is where the dues individual members pay goes into.
“This administrative account is what we used to run all activities of an administration. Like the halls for meetings, the times you entertain guest, when they come for meetings. The support we give to members maybe welfare when there is a certain time to celebrate.
“Project account or activity account is where all the donations that will be collected today will go to. The money collected here today is to support those projects, to support humanity . It is from this we do the eye screening, from it we feed the hungry, it is from it we carry out awareness on diabetes or screening. It is from it that we also support those with childhood cancer.
“There are signatory to our account who will sign the month cheque for you to withdraw the cash. When you do it, you show pictures or videos that you have done so so and so.
“You can’t collect hundred thousand naira and show us a carton of indomie or any noodles, so there is accountability. Lion club teaches us to be topnotch and Integrity counts”.
The newly installed President Lion Engr Oluwole Olabode appreciated friends and colleagues who came from far and near to honour him. He promised to hit the ground running and reiterated the narrative that people should not completely depend on government for everything, that people should make impact with the little resources in their purview. By so doing, development would spread.