No fewer than 500 residents of Ifon in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State have benefitted from a three-day free medical outreach organized by the Ifon Improvement Forum (IIF), as part of its commitment to revitalizing the community and improving the well-being of its people.
The outreach, held at the Mega School, Ifon, provided essential healthcare services including laboratory tests, counselling, medications, eye care, prescription glasses, and distribution of mosquito nets. The event targeted vulnerable and elderly members of the community, many of whom turned out in large numbers, including septuagenarians.
Speaking during the event, the President of IIF, Maj. Gen. Badewole (Rtd), described the initiative as a deliberate effort to uplift the community.
“We have been on this programme for three days now, and our aim is to improve the Ifon community. We are working towards restoring normalcy by addressing insecurity and improving access to basic amenities,” he said.
He explained that the IIF, a non-political body formed by Ifon elites across the globe, was established to tackle developmental challenges in the town.
“Our people deserve good health and safety. That is why we launched the Ifon Vigilante Group during this event and also carried out the medical outreach. A healthy community produces healthy minds,” he added.
Maj. Gen. Badewole called on community members to always communicate their needs to the forum, as their feedback is crucial in planning and providing adequate infrastructure and support.
“The current executive committee, which was inaugurated in April, will complete its term in six weeks. We encourage collective strategic efforts to tackle our community’s problems so our farmers can return to their farms and we all can sleep peacefully again,” he said.
Also speaking, the General Secretary of IIF, Princess Adejoke Asemota, a pioneer student of Ifon Comprehensive High School who left the community in 1990, expressed her hope for the town’s restoration.
“Since the loss of our Kabiyesi, we have come together to improve our community. We are working hard to change the narrative of Ifon and bring our town into positive national focus,” she said.
She praised the youth for their role in the successful execution of the event and encouraged continuous collaboration for future developmental projects.
“Our commitment is to ensure a brighter future for our younger generation. We are working with youths and community leaders to place Ifon on the map for positive reasons,” she added.
Aside from medical interventions, the outreach featured youth empowerment programmes such as soap making, baking and confectionery, and computer training.
Present at the event were Assistant Commander of Narcotics, NDLEA Area Commander Happy Josen Tariyo; the Area 7 Coordinator of Ondo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun), Mr. Adams; Coordinator of Emilale Vigilante Group, Mrs. C.V. Atabiti; CSO Ifon Emilale, DSP (Rtd.) Dairo Timothy; and a medical team from Akure.
