As the sun and clouds give to the earth, prominent Nigerians like former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Pastor E.A Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God; Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu, the Chairman of BUA Group; and Fola Adeola, the Founder of Fate Foundation, have given of their vast wealth to humanity as it battles the Corona-Virus pandemic. Ogun State, Nigeria’s second largest industrial hub was their choice for donations and interventions.
Perhaps realising that being in a position to give to others is one of the greatest blessings heaven can bestow, Obasanjo donated his expansive hilltop country home in the heart of Abeokuta, the state capital, for use as an isolation centre by the state government for suspected patients of COVID-19 within the state. Adeola, co-founder and former Group MD/CEO of Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, also donated one of his properties for the same purpose while Pastor Adeboye donated an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), beds, ventilators and other equipment for the treatment of patients at Redeemer’s Health Centre, Mowe.
On his part, Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu donated N100million as relief support and made a pledge of medical supplies and equipment to the state.
In a statement personally signed by Governor Dapo Abiodun wherein he appreciated the individuals and organisations that had given property, financial and moral assistance to the state government in the fight against COVID-19 under the aegis of COVID-19 Pandemic Support Fund, he stated, “The Good Samaritans responded promptly and selflessly to the plea by the state government for help from well-meaning Nigerians and foreign development agencies to aid the fight against COVID-19.”
While urging other well-meaning Nigerians to follow their lead and noble examples, the governor added, “I want to personally assure the entire citizenry of Ogun State that I will ensure the judicious use of these donations of funds and property towards the containment of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
He described the pandemic as a global challenge deserving of a cooperative front that would stop the virus from further spreading. “This pandemic poses a collective challenge and together we must join hands in fighting it. We will confront it. We will slow it down. We will defeat it,” Governor Abiodun stated.
