How 3 Kuje communities benefited from foundations’ free medical outreach

Over 600 persons have benefitted from a free medical outreach conducted for Lanto, Tudun Rami and Rijia Bukwai villages, in Kuje, Abuja. The two-day programme which was organised by two non-governmental organisations, Iloeri Foundation, and Gynae Care Research and Cancer Foundation, included free screening for breast, cervical and prostate cancers. Other services provided included free […]

Over 600 persons have benefitted from a free medical outreach conducted for Lanto, Tudun Rami and Rijia Bukwai villages, in Kuje, Abuja.

The two-day programme which was organised by two non-governmental organisations, Iloeri Foundation, and Gynae Care Research and Cancer Foundation, included free screening for breast, cervical and prostate cancers.

Other services provided included free hepatitis, HIV, malaria, blood glucose, filariasis, dental and eye checks.

The foundations also carried out a deworming exercise for adults and children, and distributed drugs to the residents after consultations. Insecticide-treated mosquito nets were also distributed to the residents.

The initiators of the programme, Mrs. Iyedele Oyedepo-Bolaji and Dr. Uche Onwufor of Iloeri Foundation, and the Gynae Care Research and Cancer Foundation, respectively, said the outreach was a corporate social responsibility effort of the organizations.

“This is our fourth rural mission in the last four years,’’ Mrs. Iyedele Oyedepo-Bolaji told Aso Chronicle, adding that the foundations plan to increase the frequency of the outreaches by carrying out holistic rural medical missions four times a year in underserved communities around the country.

She said the medical missions would include cancer screening and enlightenment on prevention, and treatment for pre-cancer stages, among others.

The foundations also advised the residents to take cleanliness and sanitation seriously. They similarly, enjoined them to utilize water from boreholes for drinking, cooking and bathing and counselled them on the need for primary prevention of cancers through screening.

A beneficiary at the medical outreach, Abel Gabriel, commended the non-profit organisations for the programme and decried the absence of a functional health centre in the communities.

Salisu Muhammad, otherwise referred to by vendors and others as ‘Senior’, is one of the oldest newspaper vendors in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital. He told our reporter his experience in the newspaper vending business and how the digital age has affected hard copy sales.

Muhammad who is a Fulani from Zaki Local Government Area of Bauchi State, said he first went to Yola, Adamawa State, capital of the defunct Gongola State, to farm maize, millet and beans and that it was while there that a friend, Adamu, introduced him to newspaper vending.

He explained that the business didn’t entail that one must have  a capital, but needed somebody who would stand as his guarantor, to check absconding with the newspaper or magazines sales.

Muhammad said he joined his friend in 1982 during the administration of late President Shehu Shagari, in the business.

‘Senior’ said the only three newspapers then were the New Nigerian published in Kaduna; Daily Times published in Lagos; and the Nigeria Standard published in Jos, the Plateau State capital, while each copy was sold for 20 kobo.

“We got the supply through a distributor. We collected, vend and remit the sales very early in the morning before we get a supply of the paper of the day.

“We usually went to Murtala Muhammad Way in Yola and then to the Police Roundabout, wait by the roadside and sell to mostly motorists and travellers.

“At that time, we had only one senior vendor who had a table where we displayed the papers. I received 350 copies of New Nigerian, 300 copies of Daily Times and 250 copies of Nigeria Standard.”

Salisu added that it was not easy selling newspapers when it was raining, as they had to wrap them in polythene bags, hide them under any available cover and when a buyer beckoned them, they would first go and ask him the desired title and then return to the shed, pick the paper and deliver to the buyer.

He said that was the biggest challenge of newspaper vending, serving customers in the rain and under the heat of the sun.

Salisu, however, recalled that there were times they were treated like kings. “When there was a military coup, soldiers used to order newspaper buyers to queue in an orderly manner and wait for their turn to buy,” he said.

He also said, the vendors introduced what they called “together” whereby they compelled buyers to buy more than one newspaper. “Those that wanted to buy NNN, must buy DT or NS or those who wanted DT would also buy NS along with it.

“Many wanted to know those who have been arrested and those who have been appointed as military governors, ministers among others. At times the soldiers helped us sell the papers because of increase in the number of buyers and they gave us our money without taking even a kobo from it,” he explained.

Senior, who said that he has been a happy man as a vendor for decades now, said he left Yola for Lafia, a month after Nasarawa State was created by the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha.

He recalled: “I went to the then senior vendor who was an old man and told him my mission, but he said he did not know me, so he would not give me newspapers to sell. I did not relent, as I kept going to his post to pass the day.

“After a week, I saw a friend from Yola, Ubale, who was a driver with Daily Times. I told him my plight and he took me to the senior vendor and said he was my guarantor, that he should be held responsible if I absconded. That was how the old vendor started giving me newspapers to sell.”

He said he went round offices and luckily the manager of Texaco petrol station, Shuaibu now late, allowed him to display some papers at the filling station. “I trusted him and allowed him to sell newspapers for me daily and he used to sell about N5,000 worth out of which I made about N1000 profit, Salisu said.

“That was how I was given a space and erected a shade where I have been selling for decades now,” he said, adding that other well-known vendors in Lafia like Sidi and Tasi came to the town after him.

He recalled a sad experience when Governor Umaru Al-Makura took over from late Aliyu Akwe Doma in 2011 and he suffered a loss of  N50,000 for newspapers he had supplied.

He explained that when he went to claim the money, he was told that his claims had become a liability as the outgone administration left without clearing its debt. “But still, I supply to ministries and they pay at the end of the month,” he said.

Salisu Muhammad is a household name in Lafia, having spent over two decades in Lafia. He owns a house in Lafia, gotten married and has three children. He says he considers the town his second home.

He said, in appreciation for the free space the filling station owner gave to him, he has trained more than 10 youths in the business, one of them a lady.

His worry in the business has been the internet which has caused reduction in the sale of newspapers, and the economic downturn that led to increase of ‘free readers’.

He said soon, only government organisations would be able to buy newspapers, as he now hardly sells 40 copies of any single newspaper title while he used to sell 300 copies of one brand daily.

He said residents of the communities had to cross a river to the next community for expensive medical care. “Most times we can’t access such care because of the cost. I am having my prostate screening for the first time. The medical outreach provided us with information about the different cancers and I decided to have my check-up. I never knew anything like that (prostate cancer existed). Fortunately, my result came out okay”, Gabriel said.
He recounted how some of his age mates in the village had died from unknown diseases, adding “the medical outreach taught us that prevention is the best cure and that we need to check ourselves regularly. But how do you do this when you don’t have the finances to do so, and there is no functioning health centre within our community? We thank the organisers of this medical outreach for their magnanimity.”
Another beneficiary, Mrs. Hannatu Musa, thanked the organisers for the free consultation, testing, drugs, mosquito nets, clothes, shoes, and food she received.
She said: “We have not had it like this before. I did my HIV, hepatitis, blood glucose, cervical, and breast screening and also received drugs during this medical outreach. I did my cervical and breast cancer screening for the first time today.
“We thought they were coming only for free consultation and drugs, but we were surprised the organizers did all that and also fed the community. I got some clothes and shoes also. We’re very excited. The economic situation has been so hard and this was timely. God bless the organisers richly.”