The Ogidi Development Association (ODA) has renovated classrooms and built laboratory for Secondary School, as well as provided electric transformers and boreholes for Ogidi community of Kogi.
The President of ODA, Chief Femi Oloruntoba, announced this during the association’s annual general neeting held in Ogidi, Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi.
Oloruntoba said that more than N4 million was spent on some community development projects in Ogidi during the outgoing year.
The ODA president said that the money spent in the projects were through donations by individuals and ODA branches in Lagos, Ibadan, Abuja, Kaduna, Lokoja and other parts of the country.
According to him, the projects include restoration of electricity back to Ile-Teju community after about six months blackout, renovation of classrooms, part funding of building of a laboratory for Ogidi Community Secondary School.
He added that projects were also initiated by other development associations such as provision of electric transformers, grading of Kabba-Ogidi road, purchase of two motorcycles and furniture for Ogidi Police Station.
Oloruntoba, however, said that funding had been a major challenge facing ODA, saying that the association required support from the indigenes and their friends to execute about 10 developmental projects in 2023.
He, therefore, called for support and generous donations from individuals and ODA branches across the country towards the realisation of the projects.
Oloruntoba pledged a donation of N1 million on behalf of ODA Abuja branch to the community.
The Commissioner for Insurance, National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), Sunday Thomas, an illustrious son of Ogidi, urged sons and daughters of Ogidi to come home and contribute their quotas to the development of the town.
Thomas said that the present low level of development in the town was unacceptable, calling on indigenes both at home and abroad to see it as a challenge.
He said that the idea of waiting for government to provide all the basic needs of the community would not work, saying that time has come for indigenes to intervene.
The insurance commissioner appealed to parents to prevail on their children living abroad to come home and contribute to the development of Ogidi.
He commended successive leaderships of ODA for their efforts at providing some basic infrastructure for the town, urging them not to relent.
Thomas commended ODA for the construction of a police station in the community, saying that it had enhanced security in and around the community.
He also lauded ODA for rehabilitating and providing boreholes in strategic areas of the community, saying that these had brought some improvement in the life of the people.
He announced a donation of N1million to the community on behalf of his family.
In his response, Chief Peter Arogundade, also an illustrious son of Ogidi, pledged a donation of N5 million on behalf of the Lagos branch of ODA.
Arogundade also appealed to indigenes to rally round the leadership of ODA in its efforts to attract growth and development to the town through provision of basic amnenities.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the highlight of the event was the donation of textbooks to the libraries of two secondary schools and four primary schools in Ogidi Community.
A special prayers and declaration of special blessings for the community was led by the Bishop of Ijumu Anglican Diocese, Bishop Olanrewaju Ojo.
(NAN)
