Residents of Surulere, Lagos State, on Saturday trooped out in large numbers to benefit from a free medical outreach organised under the Akpabio Cares Initiative, a philanthropic programme driven by the office of the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
The outreach, which offered free medical consultations, drugs and eyeglasses, is the third edition of the initiative in two years, following similar interventions in Osogbo, Osun State, and Yankaba, Kano State.
A large number of vulnerable residents accessed essential healthcare services at no cost during the exercise.
Speaking to journalists at the event, the convener of the initiative and Senior Legislative Aide to the President of the Senate, Mr Ahmed Tijani Mustapha, said the outreach was part of efforts to give back to society, stressing that good health remains one of the most valuable gifts to humanity.
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According to him, the Lagos edition of the programme was designed to reach about 700 beneficiaries, who would receive free medical consultations, prescribed drugs and eyeglasses.
"We are doing this as a way of giving back to society, and we believe that the best gift is that of good health," Mustapha said.
Addressing questions on why the outreach was held in Lagos rather than in Senator Akpabio's home state of Akwa Ibom, Mustapha explained that the office of the Senate President has a national outlook.
"Senator Godswill Akpabio is the Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and his impact must be felt across the country," he said.
Beneficiaries of the outreach expressed appreciation to Senator Akpabio and the organisers for the intervention, describing it as timely and impactful.
One of the beneficiaries thanked the Senate President for remembering the community, saying the initiative had brought relief to many residents who could not afford basic healthcare services.
Another beneficiary lauded the appointment of Mustapha as an aide to the Senate President, noting that his connection to the community had helped attract what he described as dividends of democracy to the area.
At the end of the exercise, Mustapha disclosed that the next phase of the Akpabio Cares Initiative would move to the North Central geopolitical zone, as the programme continues its humanitarian outreach across the country.
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