The Chairman of Rite Foods Limited, manufacturers of Bigi, Fearless, and Sosa brands of non-alcoholic beverages, Asiwaju Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa, OFR, has donated a fully equipped Trauma Centre to the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu.
The ultra-modern Trauma facility worth over N2 billion was commissioned by the Vice President of Nigeria, Senator Kashim Shettima, GCON in Sagamu on April 5 as part of Asiwaju Adegunwa’s 80th birthday celebration.
The commissioning was done alongside His Excellency, Prince Dapo Abiodun, the Executive Governor of Ogun State, at a ceremony well attended by top government functionaries of the state, including the Deputy Governor, Engr. Noimot Salako Oyedele; the Minister of Health, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako; Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Oludaisi Olusegun Elemide; and the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker.
Other dignitaries in attendance include former Governors of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba and Senator Gbenga Daniel as well as other Senators, Traditional Rulers, top management of OOUTH, and other dignitaries from across the country.
Speaking at the event, Vice President Shettima commended Asiwaju Adegunwa for his philanthropic initiative, which will help enhance healthcare delivery for accident victims and other trauma-related cases within Ogun and neighbouring states.
Shettima affirmed that the provision of the healthcare facility was timely, as it aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agenda for upgrading the health institutions in the country.
He described the life of Asiwaju Adegunwa as well lived, with significant impact in the society and immediate community, creating employment for the indigenes of Ogun State, through valuable business enterprises, like Rite Foods Limited and Ess-Ay Holdings Limited, which have contributed to the growth of the state’s and national economy.
According to Shettima, Asiwaju Adegunwa has inscribed his name in gold, adding that the Octogenarian believes in leaving legacies that live for generations, and this has prompted the trauma centre, which will impact lives tremendously.
Similarly, Governor Dapo Abiodun, while applauding Asiwaju Adegunwa for his humanitarian feat, quoted the words of the popular William Shakespeare which says, some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them, affirming that the Rite Foods’ Chairman even at 80, has continued to attain greatness.
He stated his delight in celebrating Asiwaju Adegunwa during his birthday and also in being part of history in the donation of the trauma centre.
Abiodun asserted that the greatest gift to great men like Asiwaju Adegunwa is to celebrate him, as it creates more delight in doing more.
Governor Abiodun affirmed that Asiwaju Adegunwa has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the healthcare system of Ogun State, and that the trauma centre marks a significant milestone towards attaining that.
In her remarks, the Chief Medical Director of OOUTH, Dr. Oluwabunmi Fatungase, said the 50 bedded centre has been the desire of the management of the hospital, as the old 20 bedded accident and emergency centre is too small to accommodate accident victims within the state, which serves as a route for travelers traversing the different regions of the country, with a 41.5 percent accident rate.
She said it is a dream of over 20 years by various administrations come true as there is no General Hospital from Lagos to Benin and Ibadan to take care of accident victims, which makes the trauma centre a well-thought-out project by Asiwaju Adegunwa.
She described the facility as a one-stop trauma centre with all the medical equipment and healthcare personnel to handle about 2,000 trauma cases in a month, from the severe to the minor ones. “We are thankful to the donor. I told him that he may not know the relief he has created, considering the millions of lives that will be saved here.”
In his speech, Asiwaju Adegunwa expressed gratitude to Shettima and Dapo Abiodun for their presence and commendation, as well as that of the hospital management which has promised to effectively utilise the trauma centre.
“Today, I am filled with immense joy as l reflect on Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa Trauma Centre as another fulfillment of opportunity to serve a higher calling to give and serve”, he said.
