IN THE NEWS

Over 800 persons in some selected towns and villages in Nigeria benefited from the end-of-the-year humanitarian support services embarked upon by a non-governmental organization, Azuka and Ify Foundation. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the USA-based charity organization, Dr Victor Azuka Ubani said the gesture was in line with one of the core mandates of the Foundation as well as detects of Christmas and New Year celebrations. The beneficiaries include orphanages, widows, physically challenged and the elderly.

A US-based Charity Organisation, Ify and Azuka Foundation has expressed happiness that an indigent student of Medicine, Michael Obuseh, who it picked interest to see through Medical Science programme at the University is now a Medical Doctor. Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation, Dr Victor Azuka Ubani while reacting to the Thursday’s (1/12/2022) Swearing-in and Oath taking of Micheal Obuseh as a qualified Medical Doctor at the College of Health Sciences, Delta State University, Abraka, said the successful completion of the six-year academic programme was worthy of celebration. Dr Ubani explained that although Ify-Azuka Foundation has over ten persons on its scholarship scheme, Micheal was unique following his determination for academic excellence and dexterity towards making the Foundation proud.

In line with its humanitarian services, a charity organisation, “Azuka-Ify Foundation” has visited the newborn twins whose mother died after the children’s birth and whose father absconded thereafter in Agbor, Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State to ascertain their well-being. Chief Executive Officer of the foundation, Dr Victor Azuka Ubani, who gave the directive for immediate action, sent along the delegation gift items for the upkeep of the children, a boy and a girl, now under the care of a relative. The items include packs of detergents, different types of body and hair lotions, assorted baby powder, food cans, children’s wipers, diapers, and clothing as well as a cash gift to the caregiver, Mrs Ngozi Agbor, an elder sister to the late mother of the twins to support her petty business. The gift items and the cash support were handed over to Mrs Agbor by the Programme Manager, Azuka-Ify Foundation, Delta State Centre, Mr Augustine Igwe Eseka. Ubani, an indigene of Igbodo community in Ika North East Local Government Area of Delta State, expressed sadness over the death of the mother of the twins after their birth, even as he condemned the absconding of their father no matter the circumstances, he found himself. The CEO said his wife, Dr (Mrs) Joy Ify Ubani and management of the foundation have taken a special interest in the twins and would from time to time direct its officials in Nigeria to visit for updates on their welfare and other development. Dr Ubani explained that the cash support was a way of helping to grow the petty trades of the Caregiver so that proceeds from it will be used to take care of the children. “The foundation also provided household economic strengthening stimulus package to the caregiver of the twins to enable her to boost her petty business and from the profits in turn take care of the children. This is to ensure the sustainability of the support for the twins,” he stated. Receiving the items, Mrs Ngozi Agbor thanked the Azuka-Ify Foundation for coming to the aides of the twins and called for more support from the government, well-spirited individuals and organizations. It will be recalled that an indigene of Edo State, Monday Orobosa, whose wife, Ruth Orobosa, died after giving birth to a set of twins through a Cesarean (CS) operation at a private clinic in Agbor, Ika South Local Government area, absconded living the infants with the sister-in-law, at the Clinic, due to his inability to settle the bill. The sister of the deceased, Ngozi Agbor, had disclosed that the hospital bill was over Six Hundred Thousand Naira and there was nowhere to raise the amount. “We were at the hospital for over 14-days after the kids were delivered with no money to pay the bills. The father of the kids absconded, and his phone numbers were switched off and there is no way to contact him. The kids have been surviving by the grace of God and with assistance from good-spirited individuals”. In tears she continued, “My sister Ruth, was based in Benin with her husband, she only came to stay with me here in Agbor, so that I can be of help to her after delivery. She delivered through a Cesarean operation. When she came out of the theatre, she was fine, but all of a sudden, she started bleeding and was taken to the theatre again for another operation. This time around, when she came out, she did not say a word and then she died”. It was however gathered that the management of the clinic later allowed the woman and the infants to go, after paying the little she can afford which was not anything close to the bill of over six hundred thousand naira.

ASABA/Nigeria: An America based charity organization, “Azuka and Ify Foundation” has distributed food items and other consumables to some needy in the Nigerian society. The Chief Executive Officer of the foundation, Dr Victor Azuka Ubani, said the gesture which has become an annual event, is in keeping with the spirit of the season, saying “the birth of Christ signifies love and presentation of gifts”. The items distributed include bags of rice, cartons of beverages, detergents, toiletries and fabrics, among others. While the beneficiaries were inmates of select orphanages, physically challenged persons and widows, drawn from communities in Lagos, Delta and Anambra states as well as FCT, Abuja. The distributions of the items were done by representatives of the foundation at the various benefiting communities across the states, including Abraka, Obiaruku, Igbodo and Boji Boji in Delta State. In some of the places, the beneficiaries were brought under one roof for a get together, that featured dancing competitions, quiz, riddles and jokes, where prizes were won to commemorate the charitable initiative. In his goodwill message, Dr Victor Ubani, who hails from Igbodo in Ika North East local government area of Delta State, said the spread across the country was in line with the policy of the non-government organization. He noted that Christmas period is a season of love and alms giving, emphasizing that the distributions of the food items and the other consumables were part of efforts by the non-governmental organization to put smiles on the faces of others. Dr Ubani stressed that Azuka and Ify Foundation strongly believe that every child should have opportunity to a good living, hence its attention on those at the orphanages. He stated that the foundation is also concerned over the welfare and wellbeing of the widows and the physically challenged in the society, promising that the foundation will always reach out to them at any given opportunity. The CEO paid glowing tributes to his wife, Dr (Mrs) Joy Ubani for her commitment towards child education, disclosing that many indigent children have been enrolled in the scholarship scheme of the foundation. Dr Ubani expressed optimism that more people would benefit from the programs of the foundation in 2021, even as he disclosed that its intervention in some communities during the Covid 19 lockdown in Nigeria was widely acknowledged and commended. He thanked the representatives of the Azuka and Ify Foundation in Nigeria for their commitment to the charity work. Some beneficiaries who spoke commended the the Azuka and Ify Foundation for the donated items, stressing that the gesture has added value to their Christmas and New Year celebrations. “This service is just an eye opener that many people are hungry. Do u know the widows prayed and prayed for you and your family and also for us who represented you? They were so happy and started singing and dancing for us. We danced with them too”, said a representative of the foundation. The distribution exercise continues.