Oluwo donates medical equipment worth of N1.5bn to hospitals in Osun

By Owolabi Labode

The Oluwo of Iwo,  Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi on Monday  donated medical equipment worth of N1.5bn to Iwo general hospital and other medical facilities across the state.

He said his gesture was borne out of an age-long conviction that traditional institution ideally remains the harbinger of socio-economic well being of the people, adding that royal fathers must give more than they receive from their subjects.

He argued that traditional rulers represent fathers to their subjects, whose welfare should be their  profound concern at all times.

Oba Akanbi maintained that like father perform certain responsibilities to the household as a matter of duty , so also the  traditional rulers  to their subjects.

He opined that the gesture became imperative as medical needs of the people continued to rise geometrically, with limited resources from government to meet up with these challenges.

"I am not the type of king that believe the palace is meant to receive gifts without  reciprocating same to the people even more; as a father to all,  I am under obligation to see to the welfare of my subjects, and even beyond.

"You will never see me taking land from my people,  I can never do it,  land in my domain are being reserved for development,  and not as a  means of wealth for me.

"Whoever comes to my palace refer to me as father,  like every father perform mandatory role of providing for his family,  so also royal fathers like me  must strive to do in our  various domain.

"You see,  I see myself as a father to all,  and not only people of Iwo indigenes. An Ibo man will come here  and call me Igwe,  that is his own cultural  interpretation of my status, and an Hausa man will visit my palace and call me Emir,  in line with what he calls  individuals of my status in his ancestral home," Oluwo resorted.

He further explained that the medical equipment,  which comprises disposable medical materials and others, including electrical beds and ultra sound machines were for the sole benefit of poor patients, who could not afford the cost of medical attention their health required.

Oluwo said he had partnered with a group in Canada,  Nigeria Association of Youth & Adult in Canada for the provision of the medical equipment.