Physically challenged persons task Oshiomhole on rehab centres

By Simon Ebegbulem
BENIN—PHYSICALLY challenged persons in Edo State want Governor Adams Oshiomhole to build a rehabilitation centre which would have a school and computers centres to enable their children acquire basic education.

Their demand comes as a philanthropist in the state, Mr. Ralp Osuomo, handed over motorized wheel chairs estimated at over N1million to a group of physically challenged persons in Benin City.

Speaking while receiving the wheel chairs, one of the beneficiaries, Mr. Pedro Ogbebor, regretted that the state government had not done enough in ensuring that people with disabilities were empowered in the state, particularly in the area of education and care for the affected persons and their children.

According to him, “we know that the governor is a peoples’ governor and that is why we are appealing to him to help us because we are human beings too. We are begging the governor to build a rehabilitation centre for us where we can be educated, even our children.

“The place will also have computer centre and other vocations so that at the end of the day, we can easily gain employment in the public sector. We want to be given opportunity like others because we believe that we can contribute a lot to the upliftment of the state”.

He commended Mr. Osuomo for his kind gesture and prayed God to protect him always.
Osuomo, who spoke earlier, lamented that “ in our society today, people with disabilities are often treated with scorn and considerable neglect.

“However, it is imperative that all those who are endowed with spiritual and other benefits have a duty to respond to the needs of the survival of the less privileged, especially those with physical handicaps.

“In the spirit of the Ramadan, I decided to present a set of motorized wheelchairs to them. This would appear to be the beginning of a foundation designed to empower those with disabilities”.

He urged the beneficiaries to put the facilities to good use, and pleaded with other well meaning Nigerians and government to join in the initiative to give the disabled a better life.