By Dr. Lawson Itua
The Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPN) has given special recognitions to notable organisations and individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the development of the healthcare sector in Nigeria.
In an elaborate and well attended programme held in Abuja as part of its centenary celebrations, the AGPMPN, which is an umbrella body of Nigerian medical doctors who are into private practice, singled out the organisations and individuals who through their philanthropic activities, have done quite a lot in saving lives and bringing succour to the less privileged in the society.
One of the leading beneficiaries of the awards is Engr. Kayode Olubunmi Ojo, a major player in the oil and gas sector in Nigeria.
At the glamorous event which took place at the Africa Hall of the International Conference Centre, Abuja, Engr. Ojo was singled out in recognition of his critical contributions in the health sector, especially in his home State of Ekiti.
Engr. Ojo clinched the prestigious award in the individual philanthropy category.
In presenting the award, the National President of the AGPMPN, Amb. Dr. Iyke Odo commended the awardee for his interventions in the healthcare sector, which included the renovation of Health facilities and underwriting of sundry medical bills of the indigent masses in Ekiti State.
Receiving the award, Ojo expressed appreciation to the Association which is the oldest medical group in Nigeria, having been founded in 1921 in Lagos.
While dedicating the award to the people of Ekiti State, Engr Ojo thanked the medical doctors for acknowledging his contributions to the development of the health sector in Ekiti State.
He assured of his commitment to partner with the AGPMPN and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that medical care is given to the less privileged and vulnerable groups in Ekiti State and beyond.
Among those that were similarly honoured were organisations and individuals that have impacted positively on the health sector.
They included the North East Development Commission (NEDC) under the leadership of Alhaji Mohammed G. Alkali, who is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Commission; BUA Foundation led by Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu, Chairman of the BUA Group of Companies; and Chief Kessington Adebutu, Chairman of Premier Lotto Limited and Founder of Kessington Adebukunola Adebutu Foundation (KAAF).
Engineer Kayode Ojo is from Ikoro Ekiti in Ijero Local Government Area. He has, through the dint of hard work and untiring enterprise, risen to the top where he has become a beacon of hope to the people of Ekiti State and those that come into contact with him.
Through sheer determination to succeed, he set up his own firm, SALTA Infrastructure and Construction Co. Limited, which he has nurtured to an enviable height.
As the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SALTA, he has grown the company from a modest beginning to a multi-billion naira Infrastructure and Construction Company in less than five years, with the company executing major acquisition of existing companies in the United States, Trinidad and Tobago as well as the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Engineer Ojo has interests in numerous international business concerns especially in the oil and gas sector that operate both in Nigeria and different parts of the world.
He is a founding partner of Atlas International Engineering Services (Nigeria) Limited, a company he serves as the Executive Director, Business and Technical Development.
His business involvements in Nigeria and abroad have given him enormous local and international exposure which places him in a vantage position to see the world from a broader perspective.
It is, therefore, not surprising that he has embraced charity and philanthropy as a philosophy of life. In this regard he has deployed considerable chunk of his resources in lifting his kinsmen in Ekiti from poverty and misery. Engr. Ojo is known to have given countless jobs in his companies and elsewhere to many Ekiti indigenes.
He has also awarded several scholarships to many indigent students in the State. This has ensured that the dreams and career prospects of such students from poor homes were not prematurely aborted because of lack.
Engr. Ojo is a strong lover of education who believes that the future of Ekiti State lies in the development of its human resources. This explains the reason behind his extensive investments in the human capital development of the State.
It is said that a golden fish has no hiding place. It is, therefore, hardly surprising that his contributions in the health sector did not escape the attention of the foremost medical body in Nigeria.
Political observers in Ekiti State believe that the recognition by the medical doctors would ginger Engr Ojo to do more for the people of Ekiti State with a view to alleviating their hardships.
• Itua, a medical practitioner, wrote from Benin.