First Bank of Nigeria Ltd, Nigeria’s leading customer centric bank, has
restated its unwavering commitment to continually work with Cross River
State and other relevant government agencies, in the execution of the
annual Calabar Carnival in line with its resolve to promote culture and
heritage.
Having come through a rich heritage of almost 120 years, the bank, since
2004, has continued to play a pivotal role in ensuring the success of the
festival.
Speaking at the Governor’s Masked Fete, held at Emporium B, Tinapa
Business Resort in Calabar, Saturday, Etu Effiwatt, Business Development
Manager at FirstBank, said the banks’ rich heritage supports the promotion
of festivals as it strives to uphold the exquisite legacies of the
nation’s diverse cultures.
He pointed out that the carnival has transformed the state into a haven of
peace and multi-faceted development. “Cross River State is, creditably, a
desirable destination for tourists, businessmen and investors”.
According to him, the commitment of Liyel Imoke, governor of the state,
towards sustaining the carnival initiative has yielded huge returns in the
area of tourism, foreign investment inflows, and economic development.
“At FirstBank, we pride ourselves in our corporate social responsibility
and sponsorship initiatives which encompass the banks commitment to being
a major contributor to the social, economic and cultural development of
our dear country, Nigeria beyond the provision of financial services to
our teeming customers”, Effiwatt said.
The Governor Mask Fete is a charity event designed specifically to create
the much needed awareness on pneumonia. Statistics have shown that
pneumonia is the leading cause of death in children especially in
developing nations, killing an estimated 1.1 million children under the
age of five annually – more than AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis
combined. The disease is said to be more prevalent in South Asia and
sub-Saharan Africa with about 156 million new pneumonia cases reported
each year in the developing countries. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous
nation, is one of the most affected countries in the world as 560, 000
children suffer from pneumonia annually. The struggle to rid the state of
the scourge gave rise to the Breath of Life (BOL) initiative.
An initiative of Partnership Opportunities for Women Empowerment
Realisation (POWER), a non-governmental organisation founded by the wife
of the Cross River State Governor, BOL is looking to sensitise the public
on simple but effective ways of protecting and preventing pneumonia
particularly in children.
As part of its achievement, the BOL initiative, in May 2010, facilitated
the treatment of 12 under-five children diagnosed with pneumococcal
infections out of the 45 children screened within 3 hours at the “Kick-out
Pneumonia” campaign in Biase LGA. The state government has also continued
to mobilise funds to carry out planned BOL activities through grant
applications, receipt and through organisation of charity events.
One of such high-powered events is the Governor’s Masked Fete, for which
proceeds got to BOL. According to Imoke, the most significant drawback
hindering the eradication of the pneumonia scourge in the state is the
high cost of vaccinations and treatment. This prevailing situation, the
governor added, has led to high mortality rates in the country.
“For instance, a vaccine cost N8, 000. So, if you wanted to vaccinate 1
million children, that would amount to N800 million”, he stated. As a
country, Imoke pointed out that Nigeria has been unable to attract the
right donor nations to provide requisite support funding to fight the
disease. “The reasons are beyond the control of Cross River State. As a
state, we are in pole position to attract the right funding.
“But when donor nation evaluate our overall performance as a nation, then
we do not meet the cut”, he added. He decried Nigeria’s inability to meet
minimum targets that would ensure that donor countries contribute
financially to the eradication of pneumonia. In view of this, the Cross
River State governor called for heightened awareness on protective and
preventive strategies against pneumonia particularly amongst the primary
caregivers. FirstBank, noted for several high-level interventions in the
area of improving healthcare delivery, pledged its support towards
eradicating pneumonia in the state. FirstBank Ltd, has solidified itself
as a brand of fortitude, strength and innovation in the Nigerian financial
sector since its inception in 1894.