A non-profit organization, the Cosmopolitan Women Club last Friday launched a scholarship scheme for exceptional blind students as well as other brilliant and less privileged students living with disability.

Chief Mrs BintuTinubu

The group at the same venue also installed its 3rd president, Chief Mrs Adeorike Oluwatoyin Durosimi Etti, a Lagos based businesswoman and retired public servant, in a glitzy ceremony in Lagos Island.

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While handing over the mantle of leadership to Durosimi Etti, outgoing president Chief Mrs Bintu Fatima Tinubu, the Iyalode of Lagos, enumerated the achievements of the club during her five-year tenure, including the completion of the CWC building project at Sura Shopping Complex, Lagos Island as well as hosting an interactive session for Lagos Gubernatorial candidates including Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode and Chief Jimi Agbaje.

Paying tribute to deceased friends of the Club including its former patron Chief Molade Okoya Thomas and her son Ayodeji Tinubu, former Lagos State Commissioner for Sports, she charged club members to continue to cultivate the virtues of dialogue and mutual understanding.

Further charging the incoming president to put service above self, Tinubu advised her to be more proactive, committed and to uphold what serves the best interest of the club and what glorifies the name of God.

In her address Durosimi Etti revealed that she would use her tenure to call the attention of members of the society to the insecurity in the country and how it affects women and children.  She added that the club is not averse to collaborating with government. Fielding questions from select journalists, she asserted that government cannot be expected to do everything and require help from well meaning members of the society.

Chairing the occasion, Senior Special Assistant to President Mohammadu Buhari on Millennium development goals MGDs and former governor of Lagos Princess Orelope Adejoke Adefulire congratulated the group while commending the dedication and resilience of the students in the face of disabilities.

Also in attendance were students from the Pacelli School for the Blind as well as Bethesda home, a Lagos based institution for the Blind who are already students at various federal universities across the country including the university of Ibadan.

Entertaining the guests with music dance and comedy with minimal assistance from co-founder, Bethesda home Mrs Chioma’s Ohakwe and other officials, they called on attendees to hire them as entertainers for future events.

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Launching the scheme on behalf of his foundation as well as for himself by an undisclosed sum, Chief launcher Sir Clement Oluwatumininu Okeowo, a Knight of the Anglican Church and Lagos based Real estate mogul, decried apathy of government to the plight of the disabled in the country, observing that politicians rarely keep their promises to the downtrodden. He further charged Nigerians to borrow a leaf from the blind students who remained grateful to their Maker despite sundry challenges.

The Cosmopolitan Women’s Club was founded by Chief Mrs Onikepo Oshodi, former and its first president and has four former deputy governors in its membership including Mrs Sinatu Ojikutu, Mrs Kofoworola Bucknor Akerele, Mrs Sarah Sosan and Princess Orelope Adejoke Adefulire; alongside other prominent female Lagosians.