August 2019

  Ogbona Community Marks Esi (New Yam) festival. By Elias Inaede, Ogbona (Etsako Central) Culture is a way of life. Esi festival is a new yam festival where the people of Avhianwu Clan show appreciation to God for His goodness and bountiful harvest at the end of every farming season. In a statement released by the Okphe Ukpi (Sub Clan Head) of Ogbona Community, HRH Willy Uloko Idode, in his Palace, States that the festival promotes oneness and Unity among the People. According to him, Esi festival eliminates all forms of acrimony and hatred among the people by cooking and eating together. Also speaking, the Secretary to the Ogbona Royal Palace, Chief George Kadiri and Chief Agbapo Ikhane, Commended the Royal Highness for his honesty and Commitment to the growth and development of the Community. The festival will Climax tomorrow, the 21st of August,2019 where the people of Ogbona will showcase their rich Cultural heritage to friends and well-wishers of the Community. Esi festival is usually celebrated in Avhianwu Clan at the end of every farming season to appreciate God for a bountiful harvest OGBONA COMMUNITY CELEBRATES ESI FESTIVAL IN A GRAND STYLE.  By Elias Inaede, Ogbona- festivals are usually celebrated to promote oneness and Unity among Communities and to also appreciate God for fruitful harvest. The 2019 Esi, new yam festival in Ogbona Community, Etsako Central local government will remain remarkable in the history of Avhianwu. The reasons are not farfetched to identify .it was an avenue to reunite the people of the Community and it also showed the level of Unity and Cooperation among the people. The event also portraited the exemplary leadership qualities of the traditional ruler of the Community who has brought peace and sustainable growth and development In his speech, the Sub Clan of Ogbona, HRH Willy Idode, said Esi festival was celebrated in form of appreciation and thanksgiving to God for a bountiful harvest at the end of every farming season. The Ogbona Traditional ruler, stated that Esi is an ancient festival celebrated by the Community to thank God, promote Unity and oneness and to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Community. The Royal Highness, asserted that the people of the Community should continue to work together and show love to one another in order to justify their coexistence, stressing that the new yam festival has come to Stay stressing that Esi eliminates all forms of acrimony and hatred and that the event also brought the people of the Community together to speak with one Voice. While urging the people of the Community to continue to showcase their rich Cultural heritage, HRH Idode called on them to prevent their culture from going into extinction and promised to serve them better. Also Speaking, the Secretary to the Palace, Chief George Kadiri and Chief Jacob Orbih, Commended the Sub Clan head for Uniting the people, adding that the Community has witness tremendous growth under the stewardship of the Traditional ruler. High point of the event was presentation of yams by the Various age grades and cultural display by the Women groups.  

Background Members of Ogbona Elites Forum under the Presidency of Mr. Gilbert Odior organized a free medical outreach in collaboration with some philanthropic organizations within and outside Nigeria at Ogbona, Avhianwu clan, Etsako Central Local Government Area of Edo State from 1st to 3rd September, 2018. The medical Outreach attracted thousands of people within and outside Ogbona community. The medical outreach was applauded and judged to be very successful, worthy of emulation. LIST OF PARTNERING TEAMS IN THE OUTREACH Ben Itsuokor and European team MAKURDI TEAM led by Dr. Paulinus Abu Dako Foundation Amazing Grace Medical Outreach Edo-SACA Etsako Central Local Govt, Nursing Services MCK Orbih Comprehensive Health Center The European team of four medical consultants led by Ben Itsuokor treated different illnesses through detection using the ECG machines. During the program, the team examined several patients, diagnosed and successfully completed 25 ECG Cases. Following the substantial number of hypertension/stroke cases examined, the team concluded that hypertension is the most common illness in the community. The team also identified a young girl with a whole in the heart and her case has been referred to Rotary Club international through Amazing Grace Clinic led by Dr. Princewill Oyakhilome. The Itsuokor foundation also presented to the MCK Health Centre a couple of medical equipment including; 2# ECG machines 1# Patients monitoring device 5# Medicated eye glasses and 10# Pulse Oximeter Laboratory test materials, i.e. Glucometer, psa/urinalysis/malarial test kits, swabs, diagnostics sets, otoscope, pen touch, gloves etc. Others medical devices including stethoscopes and sphygmomanometers Generator that will be delivered later The Makurdi Team: But for the Makurdi Team organized and led by Dr. Paulinus Abu, it is doubtful if the medical outreach would have been successful. The team was made of up 19 medical personnel amongst who were Pharmacists, Dentists, Opticians, Ophthalmologists, Lab technologists, surgeons etc. and other supportive staff.  They came with various surgical equipment like eyes surgeries, dental surgeries, some general surgeries, Pediatrics and various Gynecological surgeries and a couple of eye drugs, dental drugs, antibiotics, analgesic drugs, anesthetic drugs, antimalarial drugs, diabetic and hypertensive medications. Also brought by the team were all the surgical consumables i.e. sterile gauges, suture materials, antiseptics, surgical gloves, latex gloves and an autoclave for sterilization of the surgical equipment. Over 90% of the eye glasses given out during the outreach was brought by the team too. There were also various laboratory reagents for MP, Wilda testing, HIV, hepatitis VDRL test kids, urinalysis and pregnancy strips, glucometer etc. brought by the team. The leader of the team single handily transported the medical personnel, drugs and equipment to and from Makurdi to Ogbona, paid some little stipends to the medical personnel. On the average Dr. Paulinus Abu spent two million five hundred thousand naira, N2.5M of his personal money to finance the outreach. Dako Foundation for Rural Health Care & Education made up of 11 staff carried out the following medical services: Total number of children given vitamin A who are less than 1 year = 51 Total number of children given Vitamin A who are 1 year and above =628 Total number of people 1 year and above who were dewormed =1945 Total number of pregnant and lactating mothers who were given multivitamin = 108 Drugs used (doses). Vitamin A 100000IU for children 6months -11 months =51 Vitamin A 200000IU for children 1 year and above = 628 Chewable Albendazole (deworming drugs) = 1945 Multivitamins for Pregnant and Lactating women = 3240 Amazing Grace Medical Outreach was organized by one of our diaspora members, Catherine Asapokhai to compliment the effort of other medical personnel on ground. The team was made up of 5 consulting doctors and 2 nurses Edo State Action for the control of AIDS (Edo-SACA) was another corporate body that partnered with OEF to create awareness about AIDS, its management and controls. The group of 7 carried out free HIV tests throughout the program and handed out several condoms. EdoSACA organized two Counseling and Testing Tents to provide privacy and shelter to all that came for the HIV Testing Services (HTS). A total of 119 persons were counseled and tested using the full complement of M&E tools. All the people were made to go through both the Pre-test and Post-test counseling routines Prezens For Charities USA and Emergency Response International Nigeria team of 4 led by Christopher Asapokhai. The team conducted the following training; CPR TRAINING: 33 persons trained. BLS TRAINING: 6 Nurses participated. The training session was not comprehensive due to In and Out of participants from the class because of their involvement in the theater and the wards. Will have a comprehensive session at a later date. ACLS: This could not hold. No time. Etsako Central Local Govt, Nursing Services were also at hand with their staff to support other nurses for the various medical programs. MCK Orbih Comprehensive Health Center played host to the medical outreach and supported the events with 46 staff made up of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, technicians and others in all aspects of the programs. However, despite the somewhat smooth takeoff of this program on the first day, our feeling of drugs adequacy was short-lived as we ran out of some common prescription drugs and infusions sooner which OEF had to make provisions for. These purchases which occurred daily from start to end of the entire programme was made possible because of our last-minute anticipation to have a plan B that will cater for possible shortfalls that could emanate in the cause of this medical outreach. To this end, OEF spent well over N1,000,000.00 for additional drugs during the period, whereas some other drugs were in excess. The second and third days of the event started on a smooth note and saw the Europe team as well as partnering teams well settled down for work. SUMMARY OF THE 2018 FREE MEDICAL OUTREACH OF OGBONA ELITES FORUM HELD AT MCK ORBIH HEALTH CENTRE, OGBONA FROM 1ST TO 3RD SEPTEMBER 2018 Ogbona Elites Forum organized a 3-day medical outreach to Ogbona Community