By Stephen Elegbede
Governor of District 404-B4, Lion Taiwo Oladayo Fatoki, has presented a comprehensive report on the achievements of his district, in alignment with the humanitarian mission of Lions Club International. The organization, founded in 1917 by Melvin Jones, is dedicated to bringing together professionals to serve communities both locally and globally.
Speaking to journalists in Lagos, Governor Fatoki highlighted several projects completed by District 404-B4 within the past year. He emphasized the district’s response to the needs of poor parents with children suffering from pediatric cancer by constructing a caregiver house at the Federal Medical Centre. “We want to start from when we take up the issue of pediatric cancer,” Governor Fatoki said. “The caregiver house was built at the Federal Medical Centre for those that have patients and do not have anywhere to stay. Rather than sleeping in corridors and sleeping in the outside, inside motor cars, that caregiver house will accommodate them and put a bit of support to their problems.”
Additionally, the district donated 2.5 million naira to the Federal Medical Centre for the treatment of children with cancer from indigent families. Governor Fatoki expressed his commitment to continuing this support, aiming to bring joy to cancer patients in the region. “The district donated the sum of 2.5 million to a federal medical center for the purpose of treating children that have cancer whose parents are indigent,” he said. “You know, cancer requires a lot of money to treat. And in that regard, that is why the district did that, and I want to say that by the grace of God, this year too, we will still go back to the same federal medical center and continue to put a smile on the faces of cancer patients in that axis.”
The district also established an empowerment and skill acquisition center, and built a district office in Igando, Lagos. Governor Fatoki congratulated members of the district for these achievements and assured them that the purpose of the new building is to empower youth and provide opportunities for skill acquisition. “Last year, our district was able to have an empowerment center, a skill acquisition and empowerment center, and same last year too, our district office was built at Igando,” he said. “I want to congratulate all members of this district, this great district, for achieving that within one year under the leadership of our immediate past District Governor, Lion Samson Abodun.”
Looking ahead, Governor Fatoki announced plans to launch a diabetes program, recognizing the disease as a “silent killer” that often goes undetected until it becomes severe. The district aims to screen up to 15,000 people across the Southwest and provide necessary services. “This year we want to kick start another program for our noble districts in the form of diabetes,” Governor Fatoki stated. “We want to make it a major issue. And through the efforts of our clubs put in the entire Southwest, we hope, by the grace of God, to be able to screen less than 15,000 people and provide the needed services where it is required.”
Furthermore, the district plans to support widows by distributing goods and providing a minimum of 50,000 naira to help them start businesses, offering a means of income during challenging economic times
Pioneer District Governor, Samson Abodunrin expressed satisfaction with the decision to focus on diabetes, stating his confidence in Governor Fatoki’s leadership and the district’s commitment to addressing the issue. “Coming with the diabetes as our focus point for this year and all other seven focus areas will also be carried out pari-passu, but the diabetes focus is sacrosanct to all over 60 Lions clubs in our district,” Abodunrin said. “It is a wonderful focus because we believe, like I just said, that feeding the hungry, eyesight, and all other sicknesses are linked to diabetes. Diabetes is a silent killer. And we have a lot of doctors among us which we can make use of.”
