When Akunyili, Fashola Rallied For Common CauseWhen Akunyili, Fashola Rallied For Common CauseBy GBENGA DAN ASABE
Last week Monday, was a day the heavens were opened once again as it rained heavily in the Agege area of Lagos. The area well known for its densely population was at its worse state. The day that the first edition of Olu Akinkugbe Child Nutrition Center Community Awareness Campaign On Vitamin A took place. Established by Friesland Foods WEMACO Nigeria Plc which started what was known then as Olu Akinkugbe Child Nutrition seminar couple of years ago decided after its 3rd edition of the seminar in October last year to take her campaign to the door steps of the “common man”, those at the lowest rung of the society. And that was why a place like Agege was chosen.
The campaign which held at the palace of the traditional ruler of Asade Market in Agege, Oba Ibrahim Sani had the Ologba of Ogba Oba. I.S Asade and the Olu of Ikeja Oba Rafiu Apena in attendance.
Due to the class and nature of people expected at the occasion, the slogan for this campaign was “Vitamin A for Good eyesight and Proper Growth”.
Leading the pack of role models who came to talk to the people on the inevitable needs of Vitamin A in the body system was Mrs. Abimbola Fashola, Lagos State First Lady. One woman who made heads to roll in different direction was no other person than Nigeria's matriarch of anti-drug abuse crusade, Professor (Mrs.) Dora Akunyili, the Director-General of NAFDAC. Many had thought it was going to be impossible for Dora Akunyili to forsake her Abuja comfort zone and visit a local suburb like Agege. “She will send a representative” a participant had boasted. But he was wrong as the “Action Dora” not only kept to the 10 a.m time fixed for the event but beat Lagos First Lady who was to declare the campaign open by a good one hour difference. Not even the heavy downpour and water surge on Oba Akran Avenue damned her morale.
Others at the event were Mr. Kapil Garg, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Friesland Foods WEMACO Nigeria Plc, who is also the chairman, Board of Trustees, Olu Akinkugbe Child Nutrition Center (OACNC), Dr. Reuben Abati, Chairman, Editorial Board, The Guardian Newspaper and a resounding voice in Nutrition Campaign, Dr. Joseph Monehin of Compass Project, a nutrition interest organisation. The event was spiced up by school children who displayed drama, poetry and choregraphy related to the vitamin A. theme of the event.
Kapil Garg, was the first to speak. He noted with humility that the campaign was ripe for a society like Nigeria where Seven per cent of the populace live under a dollar per day. He said a major country like Nigeria with high mortality rates in children and pregnant mothers deserves a swift communication strategy like the OACNC effort, to redeem such a status. He said the problem of micro-nutrient deficiency has taken its toll on the healthy development of a section of the Nigerian population especially pregnant women and children aged 0.5 years, mainly because they have a relatively greater need for vitamins and minerals and are more susceptible to the harmful consequences of its deficiencies. This section of the Nigerian population is referred to as people at the “Bottom of the Pyramid” (BOP).
Garg said he was not attending the Agege campaign in his capacity as the MD of WAMCO Nigeria Plc, but as a dedicated member of Olu Akinkugbe Child Nutrition Center, “It is my priority to take this campaign to the basis of the society and let mothers know what to take and give to their children. Vitamin A is not just in our products, but it can be reached in other foods like green leafy vegetables, yellow fruits, red palm oil, etc” Garg submitted. He also said the campaign is not alien to Nigeria alone but a global concern. And that was why Friesland Foods WAMCO Plc launched the vitamin A community awareness campaign initiative through the Olu Akinkugbe child nutrition center.”
In her own speech, Professor Akunyili of NAFDAC commended the courage of Friesland Foods WAMCO Nigeria Plc for coming out with such lofty idea and as well launching it in the right atmosphere. Akunyili noticed three great gestures which identifies WAMCO Nigeria Plc as a sincere corporate responsible organisation. First was the fact that it is religious in the vitamin A fortification exercise. “All your products are fortified with Vitamin A and that gives me joy,” the NAFDAC boss stated.
Secondly, she said it was great for WAMCO to have immoratlised someone like Olu Akinkugbe when he was still alive. “It is a good thing that great minds like Olu Akinkugbe witnessed their immortalisation while alive. It shows that WAMCO is truly alive to the ideals of identifying greatness in people while they live. I think other corporate organisations have something to learn from this gesture of yours”.
She said there could not be a better place than a semi-populated environment, where the needy and downtrodden live like Agege to push the ideals of such a campaign. “The idea of doing it in a place like Agege, Ogba and Ikeja really brings us to the reality of the task at hand. Taking the message to the door of the most affected. Making them to have a feel of the campaign rather than dishing out the campaign through the media from a five star environment.”
Dora Akunyili quickly used the occasion to warn participants never to patronise foreign products that don't carry the NAFDAC Vitamin A eye sign logo. She implored them to buy locally manufactured goods with the logo, and stop endangering the lives of their children at a high risk. She also cautioned chemists or pharmaceutical shops selling Vitamin A capsule to the public as capsules are meant to be given free at state and local government health centers. She said NAFDAC had in recent time arrested some culprits who sell the capsules and enjoined the public to report to NAFDAC office, any chemist or pharmacist that is selling the Vitamin A capsules which are meant to be given freely to the public.
In her words, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola who declared the campaign open said the efforts of WAMCO and OACNC is going to lead to achieving part of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) which is the intention of every viable government in Africa. The Lagos first lady who spoke to the participants laid emphasis on the fact that, there are other Vitamins which are needed for rapid growth.
But Vitamin A seems to be the most essential as it gives basic features like good eyesight and strong bones. The first lady said although breast milk is the best food for infants from age 0-1 year. She however warned that if mothers were not consuming enough Vitamin A oriented meals like water leaves, Ugu, Efo, Tete, Efo Soko (all other greeny lead vegetables) or yellow fruits like paw-paw, mangoes or carrots, there was no way their breast milk could produce the adequate nutrients for the growth of the baby. Other means to get Vitamin A are animal sources such as liver, milk, meant, egg and diary products.
Mrs. Fashola who drew a loud applause from the audience concluded by enjoining the people to visit their various local government health centers for free Vitamin A capsules and as well feel free to consume any WAMCO product as they are all fortified with Vitamin A and other necessary Vitamins.
Mrs. Idowu Bismarck, an Assistant Chief Nursing Officer with Agege local government said the event was a great one. Bismarck who supplies health facilities and nutrition aids to school children and mothers in the area said the Lagos State government under Babatunde Fashola is not taking the issue of poor nutrition with a kid glove as her Local Government area, Agege is fortified with medical and nutritional aids to ensure school children grow normally. Oba Ibrahim Sani Asade, the Ologba of Ogba, Ikeja said since WAMCO and OACNC have taken the bull by the horn by bringing such campaign to the grassroots, they will add up to the campaign by making it a routine activity”.
In her own words, Ore Famurewa, the Corporate Affairs Manager, Friesland Foods WAMCO Nigeria Plc and General Secretary OACNC said the campaign was aimed at educating and creating awareness on the benefits of Vitamin A and it would be done through strategic planning and in collaboration and support of the Lagos State Health Ministry. “As part of our commitment to encouraging best nutrition standards, the Olu Akinkugbe Child Nutrition Center (OACNC) will begin a nationwide awareness campaign in rural communities to sensitise the Nigerian public on the importance and sources of Vitamin A”.
|
|
|
|
|
|
