...as Ooni, S’West Govs Hail Legal Icon for Donating Facility in Ekiti
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, says the NewCruse Mother and Child Maternity Complex donated by legal luminary Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, will help reduce maternal and child mortality in Nigeria.
Pate spoke on Tuesday at the commissioning and handover of the ultramodern facility to the Ekiti State Government at the State Specialist Hospital, Ikere-Ekiti. He was represented by Prof. Kolawole Ogundipe, Chief Medical Director of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti.
Describing the project as an act of compassion and patriotism, Pate said it aligns with the Federal Government’s push to strengthen maternal and child healthcare and expand access to quality services nationwide.
He praised Olanipekun for consistent investments in education, healthcare, and community development through the Wole Olanipekun Foundation, and urged other wealthy Nigerians and organisations to follow suit.
“Maternal and child health remains a critical priority for this administration. We are working to ensure every pregnant woman has access to antenatal care, safe delivery, emergency obstetric care, immunisation, and nutrition support,” Pate said.
This complex will expand access, improve outcomes, reduce avoidable deaths, and provide a more dignified environment for patients and staff.”
At the event, Ondo Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa called the donation “philanthropy at its best” and said it represented the kind of practical, life-saving intervention Nigeria needs. He commended Ekiti Governor Biodun Oyebanji for creating an enabling environment for indigenes to give back.
Former Osun Governor and ex-APC National Chairman Bisi Akande said Olanipekun’s greatness lay in his service to humanity, noting that the complex would remain an enduring investment in people.
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, also hailed Olanipekun as a blessing to humanity and called for more research on leaders whose lives exemplify public service.
Commissioning the facility, Olanipekun said true leadership is about giving back. Governor Oyebanji described him as a benefactor and one of Ekiti’s greatest ambassadors, pointing to his donations to schools, churches, hospitals, and the NBA across the state.
