The founder of Demola Okeowo Foundation (DOF), Dr. Ademola Okeowo has applauded the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, for empowering the youth and women and spreading developmental projects across the state.
He noted that infrastructure, especially road networks, was necessary to open up the state for more investment opportunities.
Speaking at the distribution of food items and other forms of empowerment to over 200 less privileged and the vulnerable, held at the St. John’s Anglican Church Hall, Oke Sopen, Ijebu-Igbo, Dr. Okeowo said the state is lucky to have a visionary leader who is working around the clock to ensure that the wheels of development of the State does not stop.
“I am delighted about the current governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun. I particularly like the idea of his ‘Building Our Future Together’ mantra. In the government capacity, they have been able to empower a lot of people. With the projects the governor is focussing in terms of the development of the rural areas, youth empowerment, I know it is the right steps in the right direction.
“I just want to urge everyone to support the efforts of the government at this time. Not just Ogun State alone, but also that of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. Sometimes, one needs to be tough, but the long-time goal of the president’s policies is what we should be looking at. I believe as we sacrifice now, in terms of discomfort and pain, we shall enjoy at the end.”
He called for private initiatives like DOF to also come forward and complement government efforts as “a tree can not make a forest.”
Dr. Okeowo, who recounted his experience while growing up, noted that Nigerians, particularly the less privileged are going through hard times, hence the need for well meaning individuals to compliment government’s efforts to cater for them.
He said: “This foundation is all about giving back to the people. Giving back to my source, having grown up from a very humble background and having been through a lot in terms of resources even up to ordinary feeding at a time.
“Having gotten to where we are today, from the little God has given to us, we just felt that we should give back to the people because we have passed through that experience before and we have to help the few that we can help with our limited resources. This gesture is my little way of giving back to the people in order to make their life meaningful.
“Demola Okeowo Foundation (DOF) is basically a charity foundation. We are interested in people’s happiness. People going to bed happy. We know that times are hard and again, the government can not do everything but the few we can do to make people happy, we are fulfilled.”
He said the foundation established in 2020, had empowered the less privileged in the three Senatorial Districts of the state, beginning with Ilaro, Ogun West in 2020, Abeokuta, Central in 2021 and Ogun East at Ijebu-Ode in 2022, where artisans were trained in various skills acquisition with seed fund to establish their businesses.
“We had one in May this year in Ijebu-Igbo where Special People were lectured to know that they are important in the society. We also had people from the Leper Colony, where their leaders attended. We hope to broaden the scope to do more empowerments to our people by providing training opportunities and counselling to market men and women on how to improve their businesses,” he said.
Coordinator of the Foundation, Mr. Adewale Adebari, while noting that the organization’s main focus is on the less privileged and the vulnerable in the society, noted that if private individuals collaborate with the government in caring for the people with needs, much of the problems in the country would be solved.
Some of the beneficiaries, who spoke at the occasion, lauded Dr. Okeowo for his philanthropic gesture, saying his hands of fellowship has enabled them survive these hard times.
