NDDC Seeks Support for Underprivileged, Elderly in Nigeria
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
The Executive Director of Corporate Services, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Ifedayo Abegunde, has appealed to organisations and the elite to extend a hand of fellowship to underprivileged citizens, especially the elderly in the society.
Abegunde made the call when top officials of the commission visited the Home for the Elderly, run by the Catholic Church in Port Harcourt.
The visit, THISDAY observed, is part of the activities marking Abegunde’s 70th birthday.
THISDAY also witnessed the donation of various food items to the home to support the vulnerable and improve the lives of elderly citizens.
Abegunde thanked God for allowing him to serve humanity as the Executive Director of Corporate Services at the NDDC and prayed for blessings for the elderly people in the society.
He encouraged privileged individuals and corporate organisations to always give a helping hand to those in need.
In his remarks, the NDDC Executive Director of Finance and Administration, Boma Iyaye, underlined the need for organisations to support the church in caring for the elderly. “We must create schemes to help the weak and fend for the poor,” he said.
Iyaye commended Abegunde for his outstanding contributions to public service, community development, and the advancement of good governance.
He described Abegunde as a humanist whose dedication and compassion have positively impacted countless lives across the Niger Delta.
The NDDC team presented the Home of the Elderly with many bags of rice, beans, tubers of yam, cartons of noodles, toiletries, and an unspecified amount of cash.
Receiving the items, the home’s patron, Rev Sister Mary-Jane Raphael, thanked the NDDC team for the gesture, saying it would significantly address some of their challenges in feeding the elderly people in the facility.
She observed: “I am pleased that the NDDC management is here today to support us. We appeal to the Commission to help us with some basic infrastructure.
Earlier in a thanksgiving service, the Representative of Rivers State on the NDDC Board, Tony Okocha, said Abegunde’s life “has been a testament to resilience, purposeful leadership, and unwavering commitment to societal growth.”
Okocha highlighted Abegunde’s legacy of philanthropy, emphasising his tireless efforts to uplift the less privileged through various initiatives.
