Philanthropist and Chairman UBA group, Tony Elumelu has donated $500,000 to Sierra Leone to help alleviate the suffering of the people affected by flo
Philanthropist and Chairman UBA group, Tony Elumelu has donated $500,000 to Sierra Leone to help alleviate the suffering of the people affected by flood and mudslide in the country.
Tony Elumelu made the donation to Sierra Leonean President, Ernest Bai Koroma on Wednesday during a visit to the West African country along with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who accompanied him. Both Tony Elumelu and former president Obasanjo visited survivors at the Connaught hospital, the principal adult referral hospital in Freetown, the country’s capital.
“I was deeply moved by what I witnessed today and have therefore donated $500,000 towards the rehabilitation and recovery efforts,” Tony Elumelu who also chairs the Tony Elumelu foundation said via his Twitter handle.
Elumelu has called on other wealthy individuals and organizations around the world to support the relief efforts in Sierra Leone. He also called the attention of international media to the Freetown floods and bemoaned the fact that the world’s major news organizations have not given significant media attention to the crisis.
“All lives whether on the African continent or elsewhere are the same and should attract the same media attention and human sympathy,” Elumelu said.
More than 3,000 people lost their homes in last week’s mudslide in Sierra Leone, which killed at least 499 people, with more than 600 still missing. There is still no precise figure on the total number of victims. Three years ago, Tony Elumelu who also runs HEIRS Holding donated about $300,000 towards the Ebola containment and relief across Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.
