By Gabriel Chy Alonta
History was again made as the Rotary Club of Awka Central recently installed Rtn. Michael Onyekachi Iruka as the 8th President for the 2021/2022 visionary year.
The event which took place at Awka, the Anambra state capital, was laced with glitz and glamour, Orient Daily reports.
Rtn. Iruka, an Engineer by profession, is the founder of MIKON Solar World, a fast-growing renewable energy company and a subsidiary of MIKON technologies and integrated services.
In his inaugural speech, Rtn. Iruka described joining Rotary as a great pleasure for him being part of network of friends globally serving to change lives, disclosing that the club had registered its presence in over 200 countries of the world.
According to him, the Rotary club has been at the forefront of charitable services. He listed the area of the Club’s interventions to include basic education and literacy; Water sanitation and hygiene; Maternal and child health care; Disease prevention and control; Environmental support; Peacebuilding and conflict prevention; Economic and community development.
He further asserted that Rotary has in Nigeria built and renovated classroom blocks, donated classroom desks, boards, laboratory equipment, textbooks, exercise books, scholarship awards to indigent students because of the Club’s belief that the world owes every child a right to basic education.
On his plans for the visionary year, he said, “This Rotary year, we shall be raising the bar and consolidating on our past achievements; but this can be achieved through your support and partnership”.
As part of the programmes of the event, notable Nigerians who have contributed to charity were honoured by the club. These include the Anambra Commissioner for Basic Education, Prof. Kate Azuka Omenugha; the Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Anambra State Ministry of Justice, Barr. Mrs. Ngozi Anuli Iwouno; the Executive Secretary, Anambra State Health Insurance Agency (ASHIA), Dr. Simeon Onyemaechi; a Real Estate Mogul and Chairman/CEO Arnold & Associates, Mr. Arnold Chukwuebuka Ekweoba; the Anambra State Commander of NDLEA, Muhammadu Misbahu Idris; and a posthumous award to the former CMD, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital, late Sir Dr. Basil Elochukwu Nwankwo.
To kick-start the Rotary year, the Club under Rtn. Iruka awarded one year fully funded scholarship to one Miss Ifechukwu Precious Chukwuka and a one-year free health insurance coverage under ASHIA to the trio of Miss Chisom Ikechukwu, Miss Joy Chinaza Aniekwe, and again to Miss Chukwuka, pupils of State Model Primary School, Ngozika Estate, Awka.
In her response, Prof. Omenugha commended the club for finding her worthy of the award, while assuring of her renewed commitment towards supporting the club in their quest for touching lives positively.
Also in an interview, Mr. Ekweoba while commending the Club for their kind gesture to him, stated that the award would spur him to engage more in charitable ventures.
The highpoint of the occasion was the induction of 7 new members to the club.