Date: 2019-12-10

A philanthropic organization in Kwara state, Ilorin precisely Salman Shagaya Foundation, in partnership with selected nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in the state has planned to provide free medical outreach to residents of the area.

Speaking during sixteenth empowerment programme of the foundation in Ilorin at the weekend, the founder, Alhaji Sheriff Shagaya, said that the intervention would be taken to all senatorial districts of the state, commencing from Kwara North senatorial district next month.

Shagaya disclosed this at the empowerment programme where 1,000 people received N10,000 each.

"My wife is a medical practitioner. She is a gynaecologist. She actually spoke to me about starting a medical outreach that would partner with very good NGOs in Ilorin.

She has been doing this in Ilorin and elsewhere and she is experienced. From next month, we are going to start from Kwara North. They are going to be part of our foundation as we move along.

They have a lot of experience in this already. We are just going to finance it and make it bigger so that they can reach out to many people as possible outside Ilorin.

They are looking towards different kinds of illness and everything that has to do with healthcare", he said.

Alhaji Shagaya, who was a political aspirant in the last general elections, enjoined well to do people in the society to emulate the project to improve living standard among residents in Ilorin and all over Kwara state.

"As I always say all of us are not born to be politicians. I'm a businessman. I tried politics before, it didn't work. Allah has His reason. I feel I can do more as an ordinary citizen than being a politician. I enjoy what I do now and I enjoy giving back. God just wants to direct me this way and I'm just doing my best.

"My advice is that givers never lack, the more you give, the more you get. We started with 450 people four years ago. We are already in 1,000 under four years. If they emulate this programme, it will be good for all.

"What motivated me the most is the joy I see, people collecting the little token. When they are happy, I'm happy.

"The government should do projects that will impact on people in Ilorin and all over Kwara; project that will touch people directly. Our people don't need much. They just need little to make them happy", he said.

Some of the beneficiaries in Ilorin expressed gratitude as the gesture, saying it would go a long way to alleviate their living condition.

It would be recalled that the philanthropic organization had installed solar power projects in some selected houses in Ilorin, the state capital.