By Ozioruva Aliu
BENIN CITY – THE Benin City Metropolitan Branch of the National Association of Seadogs (NAS) popularly called Pyrates Confraternity on Friday embarked on a free medical outreach for the people of Obenevbuebo community in Ikpoba-Okha local government area of Edo state besides donating education materials for pupils in Asoro Primary School along Sokponba Road in Benin City.
Speaking to journalists in Obenevbuebo where over 200 people benefited from the free healthcare services, the President (Capon) of the branch, Dr Chris Ekiyor said the gesture was part of activities to mark the 70th anniversary of the association tagged “weekend of service to humanity”.
He said “we are here in this community because we need to meet up with those in need which is part of the principles of the founding fathers of this organization. Wherever we see a need, we take the lead. This community has no hospital, no health centre so the only source of healthcare they have is one chemist somewhere around the corner. What we are doing here is called the weekend of service to humanity in commemoration of our 70th year as an association. The 60 branches across the globe are doing what we are doing here today with different programmes.
“This branch where I am president or capon is involved in areas like education and health which are part of the SDGs of the UN SDG 3 and 4.
“We started by donating school books to Asoro Primary School, to school children and we told them about ourselves and how we became what we are today.
“Here, we are doing free medical outreach and we have singled out a 70 year old man who we are preparing for medical surgery and that will be done in RAHI hospital where we are partnering with.
“In the community we are dealing with basically hypertension, diabetics, malaria, typhoid and other emergency problems that we can deal with on sight and those who will be referred will enjoy almost the same privilege that those who are here are enjoying.”
Ekiyor said the association was not a secret cult involved in nefarious activities contrary to views by some people but that its activities were only being tainted by the actions and inactions of other confraternities.
This position was corroborated by some leaders and members of the association like Ibizugbe Christopher Osaigbovo and Ibrhaim Oven who said “Ours, the National Association of Seadogs which was founded in 1952 by Wole Soyinka, Ralph Opara, Nathaniel Oyelola, Pius Oleghe, Olumuyiwa Awe, Ikpehare Aig-Imoukhuede and Sylvanus Egbuche, remains a watershed in history”
Reacting to the gesture, the Odiowere (eldest man) of the community, Pa Gabriel Agbonghae who is 83 years said the outreach was the first time the community was experiencing such and called for more government presence.
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