From The Desk of ECI President Larry Ojo
President, ECI
Blessings!!!
With profound gratitude, to God and to all members of this organization, I am very grateful and delighted for the opportunity accorded me and members of the executive council to lead the organization at this pivotal time. I am also overwhelmed by the magnitude of support after the last convention in Las Vegas in October 2017. It has been YES “Together We Can Make a Difference!” all the way!
The convention recorded the highest numbers of delegates from all the 19 chapters including London and Canada. As a matter of fact, we had lots of fun, starting from the boat cruise on Thursday night until banquet night on Saturday. I say A big thank you to our indefatigable and dynamic Vice President, Otunba Saheed Olushi, Chairman of 2017 Convention Committee, as well as all the Convention Champions! It was indeed a family reunion that would be in the annals of ECI book of records.
Since the administration came on board, we have seized the opportunity to resolve some immediate outstanding issues. This includes the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between ECI and St Cyril Cancer Treatment Foundation (SCCAF) for the use of the Eko Club International Dr. Nurudeen Olowopopo Clinic (ECI-DNOC) at Isolo, Lagos, Nigeria. The clinic is now operational 6 days a week, 2 of which are general out-patient clinic (OPC) days run by SCCAF on behalf of ECI. Cancer care awareness, including screening, diagnosis and treatment, will be carried out during the remaining 4 days by SCCAF. My appreciation to Dr. Jay Aromire and members of the Board of Trustees for negotiating the deal. My special gratitude also goes to the President-emeritus, Otunba Bisi Gaji, who met with the directors of SCCAF in Lagos on behalf of ECI. Also in resonance with campaign promises, the CLO, Otunba Olatunji Anthonio has furnished the ECI conference and office rooms at the clinic. He personally took the bull by the horn and raised funds to get the project started. I really appreciate your tenacity and commitment to our club.
The administration has also succeeded in appointing the chair and secretary for all the 13 standing committees. The committees have agreed to monthly meeting dates and have since started deliberation son how best to support the administration in moving the organization forward. Some ad-hoc committees have also been constituted for special projects. Progress reports will be made available during the next quarterly meeting in Houston. Please see the attached list of committee chairs and secretaries.
In keeping to our commitment of better health care for the people of Lagos State, the Vice President, Otunba Saheed Olushi, will be coordinating this year’s Medical Mission to Lagos (2018MM), which is scheduled to start on September 21, 2018 through September 28th, 2018. The lead physician for the 2018MM is Dr. Jay Aromire. Letter for the mission has been forwarded to the state government and the committee is working aggressively to make the mission a successful project. Locations for the 2018MM include: Badagry, Apa, Ojo, Lagos Island, Isolo, and Alimosho. Please feel free to forward your suggestions and recommendations, especially on funding sources and resources, to 201...@ekoclubinternational.org.
In furtherance of our commitment to make a difference in our communities, and in Lagos State at large, we initiated discussions with the Lagos State Government on how ECI could contribute to the development of Lagos State in areas of Health, Agriculture, Education and Security. I am happy to inform you that HE Governor Akinwunmi Ambode acknowledged our proposal, and we have received feedback from the Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Agriculture, specifically requesting a meeting with ECI regarding this initiative. I am currently in consultation with ECI members who are specialists in these fields. Updated information will be provided during the quarterly meeting.
Honorary members, I am proud of the support from chapter presidents for accepting to host all the quarterly meetings during this administration’s two -year term. The meeting will always feature community outreach and deliberations on how our organization can make a difference. This upcoming meeting in Houston on March 23rd through 25th, 2018 will show case the celebration of the 20 years of Eko Club Houston (ECH) positive community impacts. I will appreciate if as many of us be active and productive participants in this great event. Remember, “Together We Can Make a Difference!”. “Owo kan ko gbe’ru d’ori”. With collective collaboration, determination, perseverance, we can change the world.
Itesi’waju Eko is our collective responsibility.
Yours Sincerely,
Larry Ojo, RPh
President, ECI