The Ijebu Boys Association, a non-profit, non-partisan social organization with members in Nigeria, Europe, and America, has received accolades and royal blessings from prominent thought leaders, royal fathers, and traditional chiefs from Ijebuland. This took place during the opening ceremony of the annual Ijebu Boys Association’s 3-Day Free Medical Outreach, held from June 8 to June 10, 2023, at De-Millennium Hall inside the Ijebu Ode Local Government Secretariat.
Among special guests of honour invited to the occasion is the Olorogun of Ijebuland, Chief (Dr.) Sonny Kuku, Master Consultant, Physician and Endocrinologist, Joint Chief Medical Director and Co-Chairman at the EKO Hospital (Ekocorp Plc). Others are Alhaji Babatunde Emilola Gazal, Executive Chairman, Ijebu Ode Local Government Council; Professor (Hon.) Bankole Okuwa, Political Analyst, Researcher, University Don and former HOD, Political Science at Olabisi Onabanjo University, and University of Arkansas, USA (2000-2007). The royal father of the day was the Ebumawe of Ago-Iwoye Kingdom, Oba (Dr) Abdul-Rasaq Adesina Adenugba Okoko-Danameji 1.
At the opening ceremony, Olorogun Kuku was full of praises, dancing, singing and praying for all the 54 members of the Ijebu Boys Association otherwise known as IJBOYS, for spending their hard-earned resources and time to sponsor the annual free medical outreach in Ijebu Ode.
In his words, “I heard this is the fourth edition, I didn’t know it was of this magnitude. You provided laboratory tests, virology tests, eye tests, and you are giving out expensive drugs, wheelchairs and walking aids free to patients; this is amazing. I am very proud of you, God bless you all”, he prayed. He went on to crack jokes saying “You have provided free medical treatment to about 2000 patients. If a thousand of that number came to Eko Hospital that would have given me a lot of income”. Dr Kuku made a personal unannounced financial donation to the association.
In his royal blessing, the Ebumawe of Ago-Iwoye Kingdom Oba (Dr) Abdul-Rasaq Adesina Adenugba Okoko-Danameji 1 sang a native praise worship song in honour of the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba (Dr) Sikiru Kayode Adetona CFR. He now went on to pronounce royal blessings on the Ijebu Boys Association for not only taking care of the medical needs of the poor and needy in the society but also providing food for the over 2000 patients that came to benefit from the 3-Day event. He also blessed the medical team that supported the program.
Kabiyesi requested for a wheelchair for a particular physically challenged lady whom he used to see around Obanta Lodge in Ijebu Ode. Responding to the request the President of the association Mr. Olagbuyi Oduniyi took the microphone and announced that the wheelchair would be provided immediately. The lady in question, Ms Debby was invited and Oba Adenugba presented the wheelchair to her. Oba Adenugba called on governments at the state and local government levels to improve the health infrastructure in the state, increase the numbers of primary health care centers, and make healthcare accessible and affordable to the masses. He announced a financial donation to the program.
In his own remarks, Professor Bankole Okuwa thanked the association and called on other eminent citizens of Ijebuland to emulate what IJBOYS and the late Otunba Subomi Balogun have been doing in the area of medical intervention for the people of Ijebuland. Professor Bankole joined Ebumawe and Dr Sonny Kuku in announcing a financial donation to the course.
The executive chairman of the local government council Alhaji Babatunde Emilola Gazal also joined the chorus of praises on the Ijebu Boys Association. He stated that he is so impressed with the association that he had to make De-Millennium Hall available, free of charge to the association for the three-day outreach. Gazal promised to continue to support the Medical Outreach every year even after leaving office. He announced financial donation to the purse of the association.
The outreach attended to over 2000 patients, out of whom 600 eyeglasses were given out, 12 wheelchairs and 25 walking aids equipment were presented to lucky beneficiaries. Drugs worth over N4,000,000.00 were also freely issued to patients. Every patients that attended the outreach went home with a plate of sumptuous meals for the three days.
Beneficiaries at this year’s edition came from far and wide to the venue. According to the head of the medical team who is also a member of the IJBOYS, Pharmacist Olulanu Osiyale, “some of the beneficiaries came as far as Epe, Ikorodu, Agbowa in Lagos state. Some came from Sagamu, Abeokuta, Ijebu Igbo, Abigi in Ijebu Waterside, Ago Iwoye, Ososa among many other communities in Ogun state”. Pharm Osiyale explained further that the Ijebu Boys Association tasked themselves to raise funds to sponsor the medical outreach which he said started in 2019. The medical outreach, he said, has become the association’s signature project.
The Ijebu Boys Association was founded in 2017 as a non-profit, non-partisan social organization. It serves as a forum for the group of friends who grew up together in the 1970s and 1980s to gather, socialize, and promote the spirit of brotherhood while also working to further the human and physical development of Ijebu land through thought leadership, educational, economic, and social projects. The free medical outreach was launched in 2019 and is now a yearly program. This year’s edition is the fourth in the series.
For two years (2020 and 2021) while the covid restriction was in effect, the IJBOYS offered food palliatives to the elderly in a number of Ijebu Land towns and villages while they were unable to conduct their annual medical outreach.
