The Lions Club International says it will conduct free eye screening for no fewer than 500 Nigerians in Lagos to commemorate the 100th birthday celebration of Sir Akintola Williams.
Abiodun Adediji, council Chairperson in charge of Multiple District 404, Nigeria, made this known at a media briefing on Saturday in Lagos.
Adediji said Williams was born on Aug. 9, 1919 in Lagos, while the eye screening would in Lagos on Sept. 7 to celebrate the business and accounting guru.
He described Williams as “a selfless and service-oriented person” that dedicated himself to humanitarian activities and contributed to democracy and development in Africa, especially Nigeria.
“We do not want to wait until his death before we start honouring him.
“Williams pioneered Lions Club in Nigeria in 1964, and has since been a strong pillar of support to the activities of the club to serve humanity.
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“Lions meet the needs of local communities and the world every day because we share a core belief – to serve community,” Adediji said.
He said that Lions were best known for fighting blindness and other health-related issues.
According to him, it has intervened in different projects including infrastructure, environment, empowerment and humanitarian activities across the country.
He said blindness and visual impairments led to other health issues and shorten life expectancy of affected people, thus the intervention of the club in restoring hope through sight.
Also, HOB Lawal, the past International Director, Lions Club, said that William’s life worth celebrating and emulating as a peacemaker and nation builder.
“Understanding promotes peace, if we are able to understand each other in Nigeria, there will be no ethnicity and disunity among us,” Lawal said.
In his remarks, Samuel Ekpuk, the Area Leader, Global Action Team, Lions Club, said the new secretariat of Lions Club in Lagos would be named after Williams.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Lions Club International founded in 1917, is the world’s largest humanitarian club organisation.
It has 1.35 million members in more than 45,000 clubs in 206 countries, with Nigeria accounting for about 7,500 Lions in the country. (NAN)
