Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, will chair the proceedings of the Lifeline Advocacy and Development Initiative Foundation as it raises N100 million “towards fighting cancer in Nigeria and extending a lifeline and hope to cancer patients.”
The co-coordinator of the Foundation, Mrs. Bimbo Oloyede, revealed this during a press briefing held in Lagos to unveil plans for her 70th birthday next month.
Oloyede, a veteran broadcaster, stated that she initiated the foundation having witnessed some members of her family struggle with the same ailment. She mentioned that her family had faced the challenges of cancer, “sometimes winning and sometimes losing.” Fortunately, during those difficult times, reaching out to friends provided the necessary help to cope with the situations one by one.
She noted that there are currently individuals with cancer who lack access to treatment and have no hope of sustainable care. Oloyede consulted with relevant stakeholders, oncologists, and health practitioners who confirmed an alarming rate of new cancer cases diagnosed every clinic day in public hospitals.
Convinced by her experience, Oloyede emphasized the need to do something significant to make life more comfortable for cancer patients.
“I have spent almost 50 years performing in public, and it has been a blessing. It is the same public that I come to now, asking for their help. Some members of my family have struggled with an ailment known as cancer, sometimes winning and sometimes losing, but, thankfully, in those trying times, when we reached out to friends, we received the help we needed to cope with the situations one by one. I am, therefore, convinced that I must do something significant to make life more comfortable for cancer patients,” she stated.
“Although my birthday occurs during the Lenten season as well as the month of Ramadan, after due consideration, my family and I have decided to commemorate this milestone by raising N100,000,000.00 for cancer research and the treatment of cancer patients in public hospitals, but I know that this cannot be done alone,” she added.
Oloyede urged the public to join her in “doing two things that will ease the discomfort of cancer patients,” expressing her desire for the benefits to be widespread and accessible, irrespective of financial standing.
The coordinator approached some elder statesmen to oversee the event, mentioning that Chief Emeka Anyaoku and his wife would chair the proceedings, while former President Obasanjo would support as the Father of the Day. She also mentioned inviting several other dignitaries to be pillars of support.