Founding fathers of Ikeja Rotary Club deserve to be honoured —Adelusi-Adeluyi

Former District Governor of Rotary Club, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, said on Monday in Lagos that four founding fathers of Rotary Club of Ikeja, namely Phillip Dudny, Chief Anofiu Salaudeen Ghobadia, Jack Found and Chief Joe Harrolds deserved special honours for the immense contributions they made to making the club have a robust beginning than any others in the country.

Adelusi- Adeluyi said this while speaking in Lagos at a press conference with the theme: “Rotary Club of Ikeja, 50 years of Serving Humanity,” which was attended by the current president, Rotarian Niyi Adelaja and past presidents, among others.

The past presidents include Rotarians Boye Ogunlaja, Femi Deru, Akin Olawoore, Timi Fasheun, Ayo Olumoko, Niyi Osidele, Goke Olayinka, Lanre Fasehun, Laitan Ojuroye, Michael Funsho Peters, among others.

Adelusi- Adeluyi, who is the owner of Julie’s Pharmacy, recalled that Dudny, who came from Port-Harcourt, where he was working then and co-ordinating the Rotary Club came to contribute keenly to the growth of Ikeja Rotary Club, saying the same thing went for others, who he said were not relenting in their various contributions.

While describing them all as men of stature, Adelusi- Adeluyi, who was former Federal Secretary of Health, commended them for giving their time and resources in the cause of growing Rotary Club of Ikeja,

This was Adelusi- Adeluyi, who was the 11th Ikeja Rotary president, recalled that the robust beginning the club had  ensured for it that the installation of the club’s first president done in 1968 was attended by then Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Sir Adetokunbo Ademola and eight diplomats from different country’s of the world.

“Maybe we would organise a big event later and give the men the honour they best deserve. Through them, Rotary Club of Ikeja had a robust beginning. I don’t think any other Rotary club had that.

“Let’s do documentation if any others are not doing theirs. The installation of the first president of the club was well attended by then Chief Justice of Nigeria, Sir Adetokunbo Ademola. Eight diplomats from across the world also were in attendance,” he recalled.

Speaking further, Prince Adelusi- Adeluyi, commended the leadership of the club under Rotarian Adelaja, describing the fellowship there as quite good, noting that the traditions of Rotarians had always been to use their individual and collective talents, passions and resources in order to better their areas of jurisdiction in education, health, empowerment, provision of job opportunity, among others.

Speaking, the president of the club, Rotarian Adelaja said the club had in the last 50 years of its existence accomplished notable projects, including erecting the Isolo Community Centre, Building of several blocks of classroom at Ikeja Senior and Junior Secondary Schools, Donation of e-Library Secondary School, Donation of book and educational materials to various primary and secondary schools in Ikeja, building of a clinic for Police Children School MOPOL 20 Barracks, Ikeja, Offering Interest free Micro Credit loan worth over N10million to Isolo, Agidingbi and other communities, mong others.

“The Rotary Club of Ikeja can look back with pride in the last 50 years of its existence. It is our wish that the next 50 years will witness an even more meaningful and fruitful epoch within the club, for its members, its immediate community, Ikeja and indeed our dear nation, Nigeria,” he said.