Democracy: NGO tasks citizens on being change makers
By Oluwafunke Ishola
A Non-Governmental Organisation, the Benjamin Olowojebutu Foundation (BOF), on Wednesday urged Nigerians to be the change they desired in their sphere of influence to birth a better and prosperous country.
Dr Benjamin Olowojebutu, the Founder of BOF and also the first Vice-President, Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), made the appeal in a message in commemoration of Nigeria’s Democracy Day Celebration.
Olowojebutu said that growing needs and urgent demands made it imperative for citizens to become the change they sought.
“Can we genuinely itemise the changes we seek in the various constituencies of human endeavours we currently represent – academia, medicine, technology, military, sport, religion, business, politics.
“We have a long list of changes compiled in our minds, with strong expectations that someday the government and other revered people will make those changes and correct the aged errors.
“Pathetically, we have lived in the cocoon of such expectations for decades; hoping, trusting, assuming, and waiting, sadly wasting our precious time in anticipation of a nonexistent saviour to calm our frayed nerves and turn the tide of things,” he said.
According to him, mere prayers and faith for a better society without a corresponding work will produce futile and inept results.
The NGO founder said: “I had a foretaste of this in the most profound and life-changing manner.
“For years, I have dutifully dispensed my medical expertise to people of all ages and classes. I have diligently observed certain lacuna and inefficiencies that I expected the government to address in our healthcare system.
“But a single event changed my paradigm. One fateful day in 2016, a drunk driver recklessly hit my car. This head-on collision resulted in a fatal accident.
“I broke my right femur and was assisted to the hospital by some good Samaritans. I was not attended to for hours at the hospital – my vital signs were not taken, nor was I assigned a bed.
“Gradually, life was seeping out of me. Strangely, the doctors were ready to refer me to another medical facility until my wife and colleagues intervened by wielding their influence and connections.
“This swung the CMD into action, and graciously, I was attended to.
“However, this encounter spurred an unanswered question, “What would have happened if I was just a peasant farmer?”
Olowojebutu noted that the experience made him reevaluate his expectations and contributions to humanity, leading to the birth of the Benjamin Olowojebutu Foundation (BOF).
“As a non-profit organisation, BOF has conducted over 10,000 surgeries for indigent people free of charge. Giving hope to helpless people across the six geo-political zones of our nation.
“Previously, I never thought that was possible. Until I dared to start it alone. As an individual, we are more powerful and capable than we thought.
“However, to harness this inherent power, we must see things differently – seeing ourselves as the change we seek is a game changer while seeing ourselves as victims or mere commentators is a ship-sinker,” he said.
Olowojebutu emphasised that to become nation-builders, citizens must improve their thought patterns, level of participation and commitment to achieve a better and prosperous Nigeria and Africa.
BOF is a NGO which gives the less- privileged in Africa access to healthcare.
It intervenes in fibroid treatment and removal; breast lump screening and removal; lipoma treatment and removal, hernia screening and removal, among others. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Chioma Ugboma/Christiana Fadare
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