Philanthropist, Fola Akinosun Impacts Lives Of 1000 Community Birth Attendants In Oyo State
A philanthropists and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Oyo state, Dr. Fola Akinosun has made history for traditional birth attendants (Agbebi) in Oyo state as he provided education scholarship worth 400 million naira for over 1,000 traditional birth attendants across the state to get formal education.
Our correspondent reports that the scholarship to study Family Healthcare Technology was a follow up to efforts of over five years made by Dr. Akinosun to ensure formal and public recognition for traditional birth attendants (Agbebi) which led to the implementation and approval of the programme by the federal government.
Dr. Akinosun’s dream which began to become reality was for the local birth attendants to change their status from being called quacks, because of their lack of formal education to becoming well recognized health practitioners to be licensed by the federal government.
Speaking at the First Community birth attendant orientation conference and presentation of scholarship organized for members association of community birth attendant and voluntary Health Workers of Nigeria (ACOMBA) across Oyo state, Dr. Akinosun said the beneficiaries have been enrolled to obtain Ordinary National Diploma, OND, and Higher National Diploma, HND in family healthcare technology.
The educationist and founder, Foreign Links Campus, Moro, Osun state said out of the 65,000 naira expected to be paid by each beneficiary per semester, a sum of 50,000 naira would be paid from his foundation, leaving beneficiaries to pay only 15,000 naira per semester.
Akinosun who is a grassroots politician and the agbaakin of Iroko land, Ibadan, said the gesture was for him to give back to the society, impact more lives and provide solutions to maternal mortality rate especially at the community and grassroots levels.
He said the situation where Nigerian nurses now relocate abroad for greener pastures called for the need to empower local birth attendants with required formal education for them to compliment government’s efforts at strengthening health care system.
“The first reason for doing this is to make impact on people’s lives, it is not until I become the president of Nigeria or the Governor of oyo state, what I do right now as a private person speaks volume of who my inner personality is. I just enjoy touching lives positively.
“With today’s endeavor, I’ll save lives of new babies coming to this world at the grassroots; slums, local communities and remote villages, and also reduce maternal mortality rate which has been so rampant while everybody seems to keep quiet about it, and look away as if all is well. At the same time I will keep the operators on their jobs performing better and making ends meet without fear. That alone is creation of employment ”
“I’m already thinking of other impacts, that I could make in other sectors too, I want to take young Nigerians away from the street and teach them in the way of agriculture, I will provide the land and finances, I’ll even help them to sell the produce, I’m pursuing that too, so that nobody will need to protest against the government once we have food security and everyone has a job to occupied their time.
Akinosun said he stated the scholarship scheme in the year 2010 and had empowered a verifiable total of 28,000 beneficiaries across Nigeria.
Earlier in a keynote address, president general, Central Council Of Ibadan Indigenes, CCII, Chief (Bar. )Ajeniyi Ajewole described Dr Fola Akinosun as a philanthropist per excellence and a rare wonderful man who has offered thousands of various supports to Ibadan Indigenes.
Chief Ajeniyi showered encomium on Dr Akinosun, praising him for his contributions to the progress of Ibadan land.
Also speaking, Provost, Foreign Links College of Health Technology, Dr Nsika Abasi Akpan said the Birth Attendants who were before now, regarded as quacks because of lack of academic qualifications in Health will now become proper Health practitioners with valid licence from the Federal Government of Nigeria, saying it will enable them to properly run their maternity homes without fear, harassment, embarrassment and intimidation
Highlights of the event was the symbolic presentation of admission letters to beneficiaries and presentation of large size picture frame to Dr Akinosun by the association of community birth attendant and voluntary Health Workers of Nigeria (ACOMBA)
The even was well attended by APC leaders in Oyo state, notable among whom were: the Apc state leaders Alhaji Mufutau Adisa Gbayawu, Alh Audu Marafa, Oyo south APC senatorial chairman, Hon. Mojeed Olaoya, Alh Tajudeen Ashanike, chairman APC Ibadan southeast, former Oyo assembly members, hon fatai adesina, Hon. Taiwo Ige and Hon. Shakrudeen Fajimi.
Others are Mr Dayo Aderinto Akinosun, Mr. Adegboyega Aderanti Akinosun, Hon. Olaifa, Hon. Olaojo, Alh Ismail Salami, Chief Adeyemo, Alh Aliu Olaoye., Hon Bola Akano, Alh Oris, Hon Sayo Oyelami and others too numerous to mention.
