#Queen Elizabeth 11: Nigerian Red Cross Extols Humanitarian Services—-The Nigerian Red Cross Society, Lagos State Branch, on Sunday felicitated with the family of the Queen of England over her demise while extolling her service to humanity.
Mrs Adebola Kolawole, Chairman of the branch, made this known in an interview with the Newsmen in Lagos on the occasion of the branch’s Annual Retreat.
The retreat held at the Cheery Manor Hotel, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos from Sept. 9 to Sept. 11 and had 48 members in attendance.
NAN reports that UK’s longest-serving monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, died at Balmoral at the age of 96, after reigning for 70 years.
Kolawole said that British Red Cross brought Red Cross to Nigeria in 1917 which was then called the British Red Cross Nigerian Central Branch but became Nigerian Red Cross after the independence.
“All this while the Queen has been there supporting every of the British Red Cross humanitarian activities and she has been promoting them.
“Nigeria Red Cross presently is benefiting from the support for the British Red Cross especially through it’s Disaster management programmes focusing on flooding.
“In December 2021, the British Red Cross supported us through this programme where the sum of N33 million was shared as cash transfer to support over 600 families in Kosofe LGA,” she said.
The chairman said that there was no way people could close their eyes to the impact of the Queen through the British Red Cross to the Nigerian Red Cross Society.
According to her, Lagos is where the story started and for this reason, believes it will spur many to support what the Queen started and did until she passed on.
“She has done so much for humanity and as a result of her demise, the Red Cross Society would play active roles in her burial activities.
“This will give us more projection globally in the international community because Red Cross is already involved with the Queen’s mourning process,” she said.
Also speaking, Mr Olakunle Lasisi, Branch Secretary of the society said that the humanitarian services carried out in Kosofe LGA were precisely done in Odo-Ogun, Agboyi 1, Agboyi 2 and Agboyi 3 communities.
“The beneficiaries collected their cash, and also, a pedestrian bridge linking communities together was erected by the Nigerian Red Cross in Odo-Ogun and it has been commissioned,” he said.
Lasisi said that the society recently conducted their second and third quarter review of British Red Cross programme in Abuja where three branches were beneficiaries; Lagos, Imo and Abuja.
“They made us know that there will also be cash transfer to continue to support our programmes before the end of the year.
“I believe that as time goes on, the British Red Cross is likely to extend to more communities so that we can make more impact in the society,” the secretary said.
Meanwhile, Mr Andronicus Adeyemo, Director of Programmes, National Headquarters, Nigerian Red Cross said that the essence of the retreat was to catalogue the achievements recorded so far by the
“Also, to assess whether we were able to achieve the plans set out for 2021 and where not, what can be done to ensure that our plan is achieved before we set the pace for 2023,” Adeyemo said.
