Mary Nnah
Dr. Teslim Adekunle Sanusi, an insurance icon and a brand face in the Nigerian insurance industry celebrated his 80th birthday by impacting the lives of the poor and needy in the country.
The event, jointly organised by Lions Clubs International District 404B2 Nigeria, the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers and others, took place in Ota, Ogun State and was aimed at reaching out to the needy and underprivileged in the society.
In his opening speech at the event, Sanusi said, “Over the years, I have been celebrating my birthday like any other person by throwing parties but on my 70th birthday, I decided not to be doing parties anymore, I decided that the best way to celebrate is to reach out to those who need help and how they can benefit and to provide free health care to the people.
He said, “I asked my friends, family and associates to contribute and we aggregated all that was given to organize the medical outreach.”
He urged the elite to give to the needy, adding that no one gets poorer by giving and the more one gives, the more he or she gets in return.
Also speaking at the event, Mrs. Ekeoma Ezibe, the Chairman of the Central Planning Committee for Teslim Adekunle at 80, said that the celebrant loves to give to the needy and that was what the committee did.
Ezeibe, who is the Vice President of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers, stated that eye tests were conducted on people and those who needed glasses were given and those that needed surgeries had operations performed on them.
She said that many were screened for diabetes and those that required drugs were given the same, adding that they were counseled on how to live right and manage the disease.
She disclosed that eyeglasses were given to about 800 people and surgeries were performed on more than 100 people and counting, adding that thousands of people were fed during the exercise.
Ezibe said that all this was done in five centres namely, the insurance Brokers’ House, Lagos, General Hospital, Erin-Ile, Kwara State, Lions Eye Centre, Ota, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Lagos State.
Also speaking at the event, Prof. Idowu Obasa, a friend of Dr. Sanusi, described the celebrant as a person who loves to give to the needy and people who will not repay him.
Obasa listed many projects, he said the celebrant executed to benefit the poor in society and urged the rich to emulate him.
