The O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation has announced a gift of N50 million to endow the High Chief (Dr.) O.B. Lulu-Briggs Distinguished Professorial Chair in Geriatric Care at the Rivers State University.
The announcement was made by chairman of the occasion, former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd.), who was represented by General Jones Arogbofa (rtd.) at a special ceremony tagged, ‘A Legacy of Philanthropic Excellence,’ in honour of the Foundation’s grand benefactor, High Chief (Dr.) O.B. Lulu-Briggs on his first posthumous birthday.
He said: “High Chief Lulu-Briggs made caring of the elderly his top priority. As a result, the O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation’s first programme was its Care for the Elderly Programme.”
He noted that the study of Geriatrics has not received the attention it deserves in Nigeria, despite a growing number of elderly in the society, pointing out that more than nine million Nigerians are aged 60 and above while the global age index says this number will be over 20 million by 2030.
Prof Raphael Oruamgo, the Provost of the College of Medical Sciences, Rivers State University, represented the Vice Chancellor of RSU, Prof Blessing Didia. Receiving the gift on behalf of Rivers State University, he said it was a revolution in geriatric care in Nigeria and would fund the establishment of a ward dedicated to geriatric care at their teaching hospital in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
In his opening remarks, the chairman praised the honouree, “High Chief (Dr.) O.B. Lulu-Briggs to me was one Nigerian who cut his niche in life through humanitarian service, and invested heavily in others as a show of gratitude to a country that nurtured him from a humble background to one that became a household name. He was exemplary in his disposition to issues, and he was thorough in his business and other engagements. He was kind, generous, and urbane in his dealings and interactions with those he came across from different backgrounds. He was a family man who nurtured peaceful co-existence as an irrevocable hobby. He was there for all as long as it promotes the good of humanity.” In her welcome remarks, Chairman of the O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation, Dr. (Mrs) Seinye O.B. Lulu-Briggs who spoke through her daughter, Mrs Solate Ovunda-Akarolo said: “We are also using this to signal to our stakeholders the O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation’s commitment to carry on his legacy of philanthropic excellence in perpetuity.”
The O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation is a non-partisan, non-governmental organization that was established in 2001 with 100 per cent funding by its grand benefactor High Chief (Dr.) O.B. Lulu-Briggs.