Nigeria Red Cross Society ends AGM...elect new executives

Emeka Ibemere

Oshodi/ Isolo Red Cross Society of Nigeria on 1^st November 2014, at Lailai’s Place at 44 Okeho Street, Ire-Akari Estate, Isolo, and Lagos State defied all political permutations of election malpractices and conducted the freest and fairest election of the society without rancour.

It was the election that saw the proverbial ‘stepping Aside’ of the former Chairman of the Society, Reverend Nwosu, Simple Maduka Celestine, after his mandatory four years of leadership of the organization in Lagos State.

The election started immediately after the Annual General Meeting, AGM, of the Red Cross Society of Nigeria, (RCSN), Oshodi/Isolo branch, when the former Secretary of the organization read the minutes of the 2013 AGM, and after taking some corrections and matters arising from the previous AGM, the house was dissolved by the out-going Chairman who read his welcome speech, during the meeting to give room for the election.  

I’m delighted to welcome you all to our Annual General Meeting, AGM, of this great Division. We have gathered to review our past activities and take reasonable decisions that will guide us to move our division higher”, Nwosu added.

“My prayer to God is that He continues to help and direct us. That His grace be sufficient for us to take decisions that should be in the interest of humanity”.

According to him, when he took over the mantle of leadership in 2007, he was blessed with hardworking staff and support staffs that never for one day declined to do their duties. Nwosu regarded those officers as FAT members by saying that they were ‘Faithful, Available and Teachable’ (FAT).

“In 2007, when I was elected as Chairman, I met only three detachments, one at Saint John’s Catholic Church, Oshodi Open detachment and School Council with about 40 members without any instructor”, he said.

Today, I’m happy to announce that we have a total of 15 active detachments and two detachments, which is to be revived making a total of 17 detachments, we have provided two instructors, and many Advance holders and Leaders”. Explaining further what looks like his stewardship during his four years administration, Nwosu said the Society under his leadership encountered financial challenges and that they started without any purse or account.

“We met an empty purse, no vehicle, no convenient office for meeting, but today, we have a Mitsubishi Bus, and office space at Isolo LCDA, which is to be commissioned soon,” Nwosu stated.

We have about 60 Associate members and over 1,200 VAD’s/ and many JRC members in Primary Schools , we also had the blessings of all the Royal Fathers in Oshodi-Isolo and Ejigbo and many churches and mosques were often and regularly visited for awareness and support by our society”.

Nwosu further explained that the Society under him established a good relationship with all the Police Divisions within the region of Oshodi-Isolo added that the Society was virtually everywhere within the LGA. He said three Local Government Chairmen in Oshodi-Isolo and Ejigbo were given Awards and accorded their positions of patrons.

 He said only Osolo Council was able to allocate office space in the LGA Headquarters for quick response and easy access to the Society. He praised the Council boss for his understanding of the role of the Red Cross Society in Nigeria. As if that wasn’t enough achievement, Nwosu stated further that Red Cross Society organized seminars and workshops for the training of the youths, women, mother and Community Development Associations (CDA).

 “In 2007, during Governor Fashola’s Familiarization tour, he visited our division, interviewed us, to know the position of the Red Cross Society in the State, he mandated that the Red Cross with four other voluntary Organisations be established in all government schools in Lagos State. They are Red Cross, Boys Scout, Girls Guide, Boys Brigade and the Sherif Guide and since then it became effective till date”, Nwosu explained. Other activities of the Society in Lagos during Nwosu’s four years’ tenure, includes the rescue operations at the Ijegun pipeline explosion of 2007, collapsed building near Ewututu Health Centre, on December 20011, another collapsed building at Block M20, Jakande Estate Ejigbo on November, 2012 and Dana Plane crash at Iju Agege on 3^rd June, 2012 and fire disaster at Ladipo, Shogunle near NEPA.

Red Cross also said they were on hand during another fire disaster of a company near Five-Star bus stop Oshodi. “During fire disaster at Calistor Crescent near Charity bus stop Oshodi, we worked hard to rescue victims, at the scene of multiple accidents along Oshodi Apapa Expressway, Agege Motor Road, Airport side, we were also there. Red Cross picked up an abandoned baby late in the night at Ladipo market, Mushin and handed him over to the Alapere Police Station, Mushin”, he added.

“A missing child was recovered along Apapa Express Way Road by our men and was handed over to his family at Ikotun and recently, the Synagogue Church collapsed building of 12 September, 2014, saw our men deeply involved in the rescuing mission with Alimosho division in the rescue services for seven days and nights and many times we carry out road maintenance by filling potholes on streets of Oshodi, Mafoluku, Shogunle and Isolo”.

In the last administration, it was gathered that the regime established monthly jugging called ‘Walk For Life’, which starts from Isolo-Oshodi and terminated at Ejigbo-Isolo areas. Speaking further the ex-Red Cross Chairman said the Society carried out awareness campaign against flood, HIV, Environmental Sanitation and Child Abuse while also organising their annual youth Camp. He said they always participate in all the state camps, training and that the Oshodi-Isolo Red Cross Society branch, was the only division that have football academy for junior and senior teams both for the boys and the girls.

“Our senior team played Surulere division on July and we silenced them and won, Oshodi-Isolo division introduced and crowd the 1^st and only ‘Queen of the Red Cross Worldwide’ ”, he said. Like I said in the beginning, we have a total of 17 detachments, the highest in Lagos State and nationwide. Our slogan stands to be Oshodi-Isolo leads. Other follows!” Nwosu stated.

Despite all the scorecards, the former Chairman bemoaned the challenges confronting the organisation in Lagos State as finance, logistics, government support, ambulance, first Aid equipments, boxes and materials. “I therefore, call on the State and Local Governments to assist the Nigerian Red Cross in their day to day services to humanity”, he appealed.

“To our incoming officers, my advice to them is to work together as a team and lift this Division higher than they met it today”. He urged those who may not win the election not to see it as ‘do or die affair’ but to join the moving train to achieve the aims and objectives of the Society. Giving his own scorecard, the Divisional Secretary of the Society, Engineer Okereke S.C.U said the Division started four years ago with all kinds of challenges but were able to surmount it. “At the inception, the Division was a formless void just like before the creation of the world talking about basic materials for operation”. He stated in his report. According to the Secretary, the human resources development of the Society was giving priority by the Division being the primary developmental project. He said it was done with joint efforts of all hence; the Society achieved the above results. He added that the Annual D   ivision Camping of the organisation was also held annually throughout the four year tenure period of the regime.

 According to Okereke, the Red Cross in Oshodi has become more visible and in good representation at the state Camps and other State organised programmes, especially trainings.

“We created good rapport with the local authorities, traditional rulers, organisations, the law enforcement agencies, other Divisions, and humanitarian bodies and the unity in the Oshodi/ Isolo Division bears eloquent testimony”, Okereke added.  

Officers of the Division who stepped down were Reverend Celestine Nwosu, as Chairman, Alhaji A.O Idris, Vice Chairman, Engr. Okereke S.C.U, Secretary, Daniel Blessing, training Adviser, Miss Folake Ake, Youth Adviser, and Mrs. Margret Lawson, Treasurer, and Miss Princess Nwakwere, Information Adviser.

Others are Mr Fredrick Ogun, fund Raising Adviser, Miss Amaka Nwokedi Finance and Planning, Mr Kingsley Levi, Matron of Ewutuntun Health Centre, as Health Adviser and Temple Nnedum, as legal Advisor. However, most of them returned back as officers in the new dispensation.

Immediately after the end of the AGM, the election of new officers took place and after the delegates selected to vote in the election voted, the result was immediately announced and the officers took over the mantle of office.

 Akachukwu Nonso, the Chairman of the electoral Committee said the election was conducted on an open ballot system. He explained that 15 voters made of Commandants of 15 detachments voted in the election while the State Representatives of the Red Cross Society were the retuning officers and members of the electoral body.

The newly elected Chairman is now Sir Prince Chris Ifebi while his Vice Chairman is Instructor Mrs Olufunke Aina. Others are Aka Folake, as the new Secretary while Treasurer, is Mrs Clara Nwosah. Other is Training Adviser Daniel Blessing. Finance and planning, is Mr Innocent Ikechukwu Anuligbo, Fund-Raising post went for Mrs Monica Umuroro, Youth Adviser went for Kenneth Mbama. Disaster Adviser is Mrs Monye Chukwu, and Information adviser is now Onwumere Chukwudi. In his acceptance speech, the new Chairman, Sir Chris Ifebi said he was going to serve Oshodi/Isolo Red Cross Society of Nigeria with all his might and thank God for giving him the mantle of leadership. He appealed those who lost the election and those who won to come together for the interest of humanity which the Society is serving in order to move it forward.

 “We will achieve more than our predecessors, we will visit all the Detachments in Oshodi/Isolo to know their challenges and move the Red Cross forward,” Sir Ifebi quipped.  

“My Lord has fulfilled today what He told me at my eight years old. At eight years, I had a revelation where God will use me to favour the masses. The dream has come true and my concern now is to move the Red Cross forward”.

The former Chairman on his own stated that God has vindicated him in all his time as Chairman of the Society to born new executives. “Actually, I’m grateful today to ‘Stepped Aside’ as the former Chairman of Red Cross Oshodi/Isolo and what it means is that the best won”, he added.

“I congratulate them and for those who didn’t win, I advised them not to be discouraged. It’s not ‘do or die election’. There is no sentiment about it and whatever happened was for the interest of the Red Cross”.