At the battle of Solferino, in a war between Australia, the French and the Piedmontese, witnessed by a Swiss Businessman passing through Italy in 1859, gave birth to what is known today as International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC). The Geneva traveler was Sir Jean Henry Dunant, the founder of Red Cross. He was deeply touched by the sight of wounded and abandoned victims of the war that he rendered first aid services and relief and urged the local populace to assist him in saving the lives of the victims of the war. World Red Cross Day, celebrated every 8th of May is the birthday of Henry Dunant, born in Geneva in 1828. He was the recipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize.

Red Cross in Nigeria, which, at that time, was a Branch of the British Red Cross, appeared for the first time in 1917, when an Adamu Orisha play was staged in Lagos to raise funds for the Red Cross to provide relief for returning soldiers of the First World War. In April 1951, the Headquarters of the Nigerian Branch of the British Red Cross was opened in Lagos by the Governor-General.

In August, 1960 the two Legislative Houses passed the Nigeria Red Cross Society Act and the General Conventions Acts. Following the official recognition by the President of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Society, Nigeria became the 86th member nation of the International Red Cross Committees in Prague in September, 1961.

The Objective of the Red Cross Society is based on Seven Fundamental Principles of Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality, Independence, Voluntary Service, Unity and Universality. The Motto of Red Cross is: Through Humanity to Peace.

The Nigerian Red Cross Society, Anambra State is strategically appraising and evaluating the vantage roles of Donors, Volunteers, Front Line Health Workers, Healthcare Givers and Healthcare Providers and the need on joint efforts of all as the executors for Service to Humanity.

Since the creation of Anambra State in 1991, Nigerian Red Cross Society has been carrying out numerous activities such as Disaster Response, Prevention and Mitigations; Prison Sanitation Programme; HIV/AIDS Project; Environmental Sanitation Programme, First Aid Services; Crowd Control and Recovery of Road Accident Victims. Others are Tracing of Lost Persons; Blood Donors Recruitment Drive; Conflicts Resolution; Virus Diseases Campaign and Simulations and now Covid-19 Global Pandemic.

In 1918, there was an outbreak of Influenza, which originated in Spain. It caused the death of 50 Million persons around the world out of the 1.5 billion population then. 500,000 Nigerians died from the virus. International Federation of Red Cross and the British Red Cross of Nigerian Red Cross Society became the Front Line Healthcare Givers during the pandemic.

Many lives were saved as they were taken to Isolation Centres spread across the nation with Provision of Palliatives to the people, just like the Palliatives and Reliefs of the Nigerian Civil War extended to the Eastern Region.

Today, Barrister Allen Ifechukwu Onyema has resurrected the power of humanity and benevolence by his rapid responses to the most vulnerable. He has been providing covid-19 palliatives. Thus, he is the HERO AND THE GRAND COMMANDER OF HUMANITY of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Anambra state. At the annihilation of COVID-19, a massive celebration and investiture of the HERO would be held.

Above all, sequel to the COVID-19 Global Pandemic and the decimation of Nigerians, it is suggested that Government should establish State Ministries of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development in the 36 States of the Federation and FCT. This would encourage rapid response to all disaster management activities and alleviate the hardship of the vulnerable and provide substantial palliatives at any occurrence.

The Federal Government is equally urged to specifically Rebuild and Reactivate Nigerian Refineries to accelerate the growth of Nigerian Economy and improve the growth of National Revenue.

PROVIDE COVID-19 PALLIATIVES AND BE A HERO.

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