Fred Ezeh, Abuja
A senior editor with the Leadership Newspapers, Winifred Ogbebo, has been elected the 7th President of the Rotary club of Abuja Maitama.
Her emergence followed a keenly contested election by other interested members of the club who are equally qualified for the position.
Speaking at her investiture in Abuja, Ogbebo, in an emotional speech, described her emergence as Act of God and great opportunity for her to serve humanity through the Rotary club platform.
She promised to use the platform to design and promote outreaches that would herald unprecedented transformation in the lives of rural communities in Nigeria.
She commended the past Presidents of the club who had laid strong foundation for the success story of the club, with a promise to ride on the already established platform to attract more life transforming projects.
She solicited the financial and logistics support of all members to some of the target programmes and projects of the club.
The immediate past President, Victoria Orakwue, in her valedictory speech described her tenure as a success, going by the successful completion of tasks and projects.
She said: “It was, inarguably, a busy and tasking Rotary year. My joy was that we engaged in all Rotary six areas of focus which included; water and sanitation; basic education and literacy; disease prevention and treatment.
“Others were children and maternity health care; economic and community development; peace and conflict prevention/resolution.”
She disclosed that five awards were won by Rotary Club Abuja Maitama from the District Governor as a result of the club’s outstanding performance during the 2017/2018 Rotary year.
Director General, National Council for Art and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, who was the chairman of the occasion, registered his joy with the level of human intervention being taken by the club.
He promised to mobilize his friends and associates to support the new President, financially and otherwise, so she could move the club to a higher level.
Former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki, in his keynote address, exposed the gathering to the benefits of engaging in humanitarian work.
Tanimu who was represented by his media aide, Shola Atere, encouraged the people not to hesitate in taking any opportunity to make positive impact on the society.
He promised to support the new leadership of the club in all its humanitarian services to the less privileged in the society.