By Ebele Orakpo

The eye eats before the mouth tastes, is a popular saying among chefs, said to have been coined by the 1st Century Roman gourmand, Apicius. This means that the eye sees before the tongue tastes and so a dull, dirty visual appearance will affect one’s experience.

This saying must have influenced members of the Rotary Club of Festac Central who, in fulfillment of one of its seven areas of service to humanity, on May 27, 2023, commissioned the Festac Link Bridge Roundabout in Lagos.

Speaking with Vanguard at the event, the President, Rotary Club of Festac Central, Mrs. Nkechi Ndudirim, noted that the popular and ever busy roundabout was an eyesore so her club, the Unique Club, did something about it.

“This roundabout was so messed up, filled with trash, and all sorts of garbage. That was not right and one of the things we do in Rotary is to beautify our environment because it is said that cleanliness is next to godliness. You can see how amazing it is now. We did landscaping, placed decorative stones, repaired the damaged blocks and painted it. The painting is one that will last for years. It has brought out the beauty of this environment,” she stated.

While commending the Rotary Club of Festac Central, past District Governor of Rotary Club District 9110 and Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator, Dr. Deinde Shoga, who commissioned the roundabout, noted that the project is one of the good things Rotary does as an organisation. “We have our work shared into seven areas of focus: Peace-building & Conflict Prevention/Resolution; Disease Prevention & Treatment; Water, Sanitation & Hygiene; Maternal & Child Health; Basic Education & Literacy; Community Economic Development and Protection of the Environment. This project falls under Protection of the Environment because they beautified the area. If you see the before and after photos, it tells you how this place that was an eyesore, has been transformed. Having done this, it means they are committed to permanently make sure that this place looks good all the time. They will be planting trees and they have the rotary monument placed there.”

 Also speaking at the event, Head of the Legal Unit, Federal Housing Authority, FHA, Alaba Omoniyi, Esq. who represented the Zonal Manager, said: “This is a great concept by the Rotary Club. They applied to the FHA to aesthetically beautify the environment and impact on human living, FHA graciously approved it. We are indeed very proud of what they have done. It is for humanity.”

Ndudirim, popularly called the Imaginative President, said they first obtained permission from the FHA because “they are in charge of Festac and Amuwo Odofin federal lands so they gave us permission. We also informed the local government chairman and he was really happy.”

On how they raised the funds to carry out the project, Shoga said: “Our members are usually community leaders and professionals so when they decide to carry out a project, they raise funds among members and sometimes involve other members of the society. Again, there are many people who desire to do good who may not necessarily join Rotary Club but they can support their efforts. They also reach out to friends and well meaning people. This way, they are able to gather money to address different needs of society such as providing water for communities that have no water, free surgeries for people who cannot afford surgery, polio immunization to ensure that children don’t develop polio and support for children in schools.”

The president was full of praises for members for their cooperation and support in transforming and commissioning the multi-million naira project.