PRESS STATEMENT
HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS TO IJESA STAKEHOLDERS ON IGC MEDICAL EQUIPMENT*
We give glory to the Almighty God for assisting us to take final delivery of the 3 Containers of medical equipment and supplies with current market value of N1,500,000,000(One Billion, Five Hundred Million Naira) sourced from MedShare Inc. USA exactly two years ago.
The market value of the 3 Containers was put at $750,000 as at Friday, 4th March 2022 when the last tranche of $25,000(cost of shipment of the third container) was transferred by Ijesa Community Development Assembly representatives in the US to MedShare Inc.
I am particularly glad that all the Ijesa Stakeholders who contributed $79,580 (out of which $75,000 ) (about N145m) was transferred to MedShare as Shipment Costs will now be greatly relieved that they have not lost their hard-earned resources.
Our train of gratitude goes to our ICDA worthy Ambassadors in the US who do not only mobilise their counterpart in the US for the payment of equipment shipment fund to complement contributions from their Compatriots at home in Nigeria but also physically assisted in inspecting the equipment at various locations of MedShare in Maryland and California ahead of shipment. We thank in particular Chief Olalekan Abayomi Komolafe; Chief Mrs Yemisi Iyanda; and Mr Ayo Fagbola for their excellent representation.
Hearty Congratulations to the entire team in IGC Medical Advisory Committee namely, Chairman Ðr (Col) Akin Moses; Mrs Kofoworola Ajelabi; Mr Bukola Fadipe; and Engr Busayo Aluko for their selfless service in finally securing the release of the equipment and supplies that arrived in the country in November 2022. No thanks to Nigeria’s inefficient bureaucracy!
Appreciation also goes to Alagba Iyiola Faniyi for mobilising other Patriotic Ijesas for raising the initial Customs clearing fees.
We owe debt of gratitude to the Ijesaland Geriatric Centre Chairman, Project Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC), Prof Isaac Folorunso Adewole for standing up for Ijesaland when it matters most. He has not only deployed his vast political network but also sacrificed his precious time and resources in ensuring that the Customs Duties on the equipment were officially waived. And all other associated clearing costs significantly reduced and the remaining paltry sum of N3m was personally defrayed by the Omoluabi Customs Comptroller General, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi. Tell me how to be more Patriotic!
We cannot but mention the salutary roles of other PTAC members namely Prof Oyewusi Gureje; Prof Biodun Ilesanmi; Dr Femi Olowookere; Prof Lawrence Oginni; and Dr(Col) Akin Moses.
Our thanks also go to the entire team of IGC Project Monitoring and Evaluation Committee (PMEC) namely Chairman Alh. Lateef Bakare; Vice Chairman Dame Erelu Dr Olusola Agbeja-Obada; Mr Iyiola Faniyi; Engr Yemi Oguntominiyi; Engr Bola Olowe; Rt. Hon. Timothy Owoeye; and Engr Olusegun Okebiorun for their historic support.
I seize this same opportunity to thank all my members in the defunct apex IGC Project Management Team (PMT), namely PMT Vice Chairman Lowo Adebiyi; General Secretary, Mr Wale Idowu; Treasurer, Chief Afolabi Igbaroola; Technical Adviser, Engr Busayo Aluko; and Legal Adviser, Chief Mrs Dupe Ajayi Gbadebo for midwifing the IGC Project and the Equipment Sourcing.
Most importantly, we are profusely grateful to all the Ijesa Community Development Assembly (ICDA) members who do not only believe in the IGC Project but also went ahead to donate generously and selflessly towards its accomplishments. The second Geriatric Centre in Nigeria and the largest in West Africa.
History shall eternally remain kind to the 120 Individual Contributors; 11 Corporate Donors; 20 Ijesa Living Legends; 6 Platinum Donors; and 62 Equipment Shipment Donors who collectively created this history.
DISTRIBUTION OF EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES
Stakeholders will recollect that initially, we programmed to request for two Containers from MedShare.
The decision to increase to three was later taken.
A major consideration for this increase was to support all our Public Primary Health Care Centres in the six LGAs of Ijesaland with ALL the remaining medical equipment and supplies that IGC will not immediately require, taking into consideration the expiry dates of many of the medical supplies.
We trust that the IGC Medical Advisory Committee will do justice to this.
Finally, I will further suggest that the IGC Medical Advisory Committee under Dr (Col) Akin Moses should liase with the Management of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC) to work out details of dispensation plans on how our people in Ijesaland would have access to these stocks of medical supplies at either free or highly subsidised rates.
And if the above is to be achieved, then the first step may be for IGC Medical Advisory Committee to take full inventory of all that are being delivered from the 3 containers.
In conclusion, we shall be relying on periodic IGC Medical Advisory Committee report to see how this huge investment made by the Ijesas continually and sustainably contribute to health care delivery and ultimately improvement in the lifespan of an average Ijesa Woman or Man from the current National average of 54 years to maybe 100 years in a few years to come.
Obokun a gbe a, O!
Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi,
Chairman,
Defunct IGC Project Management Team (PMT).
Oke Baba Okuta Villa, Ilesa.
22nd February, 2024.
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