One of Nigeria’s most prolific musicians, respected activist and actor, Charles Oputa aka Charly Boy, has received massive endorsement from former Nigerian president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on the take off of his much publicised Charly Boy Foundation. This is huge considering the fact that the former president is widely known to be one personality who will never get himself involved with any individual lacking in integrity, much less on a project that has question marks written all over it. Charly Boy recently stunned not a few Nigerians when he announced he was embarking on a new journey, taking on a project that he considers possibly the most significant he has ever undertaken. The very versatile and incredibly creative entertainer also fondly called the Area Fada by his legion of fans and followers revealed why he decided to set up the foundation and the many benefits Nigerians, most especially, men, stand to gain from it. No doubt, the foundation, which the renowned entertainer holds very dear to his heart, clearly underlines the humanitarian side of Charly Boy that was before now unknown to many.
The Charly Boy Foundation is different from the many foundations Nigerians are familiar with. It is uique in a lot of ways. For starters, it was not an idea that sprang out of the blues with the underlying motive to make money off the Nigerian public. That is not what this is about and neither is it what Charly Boy is about. Many will recall that Charly Boy made headlines sometime last year when he opened up on his battle with prostrate. He joined the unenviable list of popular Nigerian men such as Professor Wole Soyinka, veteran journalist, Mike Awoyinfa, Professor Pat Utomi, Nollywood actor, Kola Oyewo and several others who have had to battle fiercely with the dreaded disease for survival. All the aforementioned names have been lucky to be alive to tell their prostrate cancer story, but thousands of other victims have been unlucky. Prostrate claimed their lives before their time.
In Nigeria today, Prostrate cancer has been identified as the leading cause of cancer deaths in Nigerian men. Current data suggest that at least 15 Nigerian men die every day due to prostate cancer, resulting in about 5 806 deaths yearly with 13 078 new cases recorded. Despite this troubling indices, there is still a discomforting quiet about prostate cancer, with a lot of people unaware of the disease and its risk factors. Only a very small percentage of Nigerian men are even aware of the monster called Prostrate and that it’s lurking all around us, waiting to devour its next victim. This is one of the reasons why Charly Boy, a prostrate survivor, decided he was going to set up a foundation that will help create awareness about, not just prostrate cancer but other men related illnesses such as Diabates and mental health issues.
The big news is that the Charly Boy foundation has been attracting a lot of significant attention and support from well meaning Nigerians who recognise the immense value of the foundation and the unending benefits it offers the male folk. One of the distinguished Nigerians who have recently lent their voices and support to the foundation is the former president of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR. In a video that’s been put out there in the social media, the former president speaks glowingly about the benefits of the Charly Boy foundation and why every Nigerian, especially the men, should support and join hands with Charly Boy to make it work, like he is also ready to do. Hear him:
“The work that Charly Boy has engaged himself in right now, humanitarian work, looking into an issue which he, himself, has been a victim of, that is the prostrate Cancer issue, is commendable. The second issue, which I am also a victim of, is Diabetic issue, which I have managed for over 40 years. And the third issue, mental health, which experts say one in every four Nigerians is suffering from in one form or the other and with the economic situation we are in now, there will even be more people running the risk of mental health problem.”
“I commend Charly Boy for taking up these maladies that are plaguing our population and I endorse his efforts to raise awareness, offer advice, be an advocate and generally reduce the number of victims of these diseases. And any one of them that may not be curable, like Diabetes, for victims to be able to know how to manage them and live with them and live a fairly normal life the way I have been able to live the past 40 years, the foundation will put you through. I will appeal to those of you who are watching this video, who are listening to me right now, to make generous donation because any of us can be a victim of these ailments. Any of our family members can be a victim of any of these ailments. So, working to raise awareness and become an advocate is a good humanitarian responsibility that we should all be engaged in and if you cannot physically do it, let your money do it. There are designated numbers you can call to find out more about this very noble project and you can also reach them to make your donations. Whatever you want to do, they will guide you on what you can do. But we can all do something. I will do, and I hope you will also join me. Thank you,” he concluded in the 5 minutes duration video.
Let us tell you more about the Charly Boy foundation. According to it’s founder, the Area Fada, the Charly Boy foundation was established with a clear vision – to empower Nigerian men to take control of their health, promote awareness, ensure detection and provide access to essential treatment. Its initiatives are designed to make a significant and lasting impact on the lives of countless individuals who otherwise may not have access to necessary healthcare services
“After my personal challenges with Prostrate, I am rededicating my life to championing the advocacy addressing critical issues and wellness affecting Nigerian men. My primary focus will be on mental health awareness, prostrate cancer diagnosis and treatment and other vital men’s health concerns such as Diabetes. Our goal is to promote a sense of well- being among men in Nigerian communities,” Charly Boy explains.
The following are dedicated lines to reach for enquiries and donations:
+2349120008796, +2348024231487, +2348125542354.
Designated bank accounts are:
Foundation bank accounts
Charly Boy foundation: Fidelity Bank
Naira – 4010076870
USD – 4170004872
Euro – 4170004889
GBP - 4170004896
WALE LAWAL (08037209290)
0 Comments