Ijeoma Obijiaku
President of Mandilas International Trade Centre (MITC), owners of Mandilas Plaza, Lagos International Trade Fair complex, Chief Anthony Okeke has given insights on why his administration has continued to sponsor Health Week twice a year for business operators in the plaza and customers.
Answering questions from journalists during the flag off of 2019 Mandilas Health Week at the plaza recently, he said “What is going on here is Mandilas health week. It is a programme that we embark on twice a year. It affords all members and customers as well, the opportunity to know their health status before any festive period.
He said every year, “Before either Christmas or Easter, we organize Health Week for our members to check their health status and take necessary medications because the health of our members and customers is very important to us as an administration.”
On the cost of accessing free medical checkup and other attention, Okeke explained that just as written on the banner, “It is free. Free medical test and free treatment.”
“There is an optician here and we have enough nurses that will take care of any health problem. Like I said the other day, those days we used to say that somebody died of brief illness will be over if people attend such clinics twice a year as we are doing it here.
“However, I want to tell us that there is nothing like brief illness. It is because of our ignorance and carelessness that somebody died and it is called brief illness. Before somebody dies, there must be an illness, either internal that has been eating that person up before the person suddenly dies.
“So that is what we want to take care of in the market so that everybody will know their status. If you are hypertensive you will know what to do and what not to do, or the quantity of drink you can take. That is why we are here. And it is kind of give back, our members have suffered so much for this union by paying dues, paying everything from their nose because of the economic situation.
Okeke added that this is a time we the executives want to give back to our members the health advantage of leadership.
“Any time we have the opportunity, we give back. If you go to the backyard of the plaza, you will see a borehole that was installed and has been functional 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“It is under instruction that it must not stop for even one hour. Now we have started the health week.
“The health week is done twice a year and we started last year. We give our members and customers the opportunity to come and check their health and we also give free drugs, you can see that the table is full. So there is free drug, free test, eye, malaria, typhoid, sugar, blood pressure tests.
On his message to his members and customers that are coming into the plaza, the President, Chief Anthony Okeke thanked the association for trusting his administration and charged them to remain steadfast.
He revealed that “The volume of transaction at Mandilas has grown and still growing, but the recent border closure is a serious blow to our growing West Africa business networks.
While calling on the members to continue to be supportive to the government of the day, he assured of listening to their demands and sharing in their suffering.
“So whenever we have the opportunity to reduce their suffering, and cushion it, we will do that. And as for the customers coming, I want to tell them that this is the best market to get whatever you want as far as it is fashion. Anything fashion is available here. Children wear, mother’s care, ladies bags, clothings, men’s and ladies belts, travelling bags, shoes, wrist watches, cosmetics, fragrances and the rest.
“Mandilas Plaza, Lagos International trade Fair complex is known for fashion and everything fashion is better bought here because Mandilas is another name for fashion and accessories.
