He easily stands out in any gathering of people due to his towering height which reminds one of American basketball players. This young man, Anoliefo Samuel Ifeanyi, 31 years old, who hails from Ubulu village Eziowele in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, is the only son of the late Mr. Ilodiuba and Mrs. Eunice Anoliefo.

According to Samuel, his father died four years ago leaving him and two of his sisters, one married and the other single, with his non-tutorial staff mother, a cook, at Community Secondary School, Eziowele.

A soft spoken young man, Samuel had plan of furthering his education to the university level, but luck seem to have put paid to that ambition as he can hardly see or walk around without assistance by relatons or friends.

“I was not born a blind man; rather I started having eye problem when I was four years old in my Ubulu village in Eziowelle. The problem was diagnosed as cataract on the two eyes but I was able to manage to go to primary school, although it was difficult for me to see what was written on the board with it.

“My mother was able to get the teachers to agree to use a drawing book to write for me so that the words will be bold enough for me to read what was written. The arrangement, however, did not last beyond primary school as I could not even write the common entrance examination because there was no provision made for me in such examination.

“However, somebody advised my parents to take me to a special school for the blind at Oji River, Enugu State. There I started afresh from Primary One in 1991 and finished Primary Six in 1996. I was later posted to Dennis Memorial Grammar School Onitsha in 1996/97 where I studied with other students who had no problems with their eyes. Although it was another challenging task as I had to attend the classes, listen to our teachers, while the other students will copy the notes and dictate for me to record their voices with a tape recorder,” said Anoliefo.

According to him, during examinations, provision was usually made by the school for him and other students, both senior and junior, in similar situation to write their examinations.

“I finished my secondary school from DMGS in 2002. I sat for the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and National Examination Council (NECO)examinations. Unfortunately WAEC did not release my result even after the school wrote them several times. They only released those people who could go to them. NECO was magnanimous enough to release that result where I had six credits and three passes,” he informed.

He said that he has not lost hope, but believe that WAEC will one day release that result because according to him: “I deserve to have it; it was my sweat, I don’t know why that result will be seized, I could not have possibly been involved in an examination malpractice to warrant the seizure”.

He said that in an attempt to continue his education to the university: “I went to one of my uncles who lives in the USA to ask him for assistance with some facilities used by blind people and for him to assist in the continuation of my education. But he said that instead of continuing with special school education, that he would help me treat the eye as it could be treated.

“He then directed me to a medical doctor, an oculist in Enugu who examined my eyes and said he could correct the problem. When I came back and told my uncle of this, he said he could vouch for the doctor whom he had known for a long time in the US. He, therefore, approved, arranged and paid the doctor. My parents also approved the operation and I went for it,” Anoliefo informed.

He said that the doctor operated on the left eye first on April 29, 2006, with plan to do the right one at a later date. But unfortunately after the operation: “He removed the Plaster and the cotton wool on April 30. I could not see with it, and I asked him why and he told me that he was trying to remove the lens and it got broken in my eyes. So since then I have never seen with that left eye. But the greatest problem I am having now is the pains and severe headache I suffer everyday due to the damage.

“The right eye which I use to walk round and equally read bold things has been affected as I cannot see with it again. If not my niece, Miss Ogochukwu Ifediba who has been taking me to anywhere I want to go, it would not have be easy for me to do anything even to grant this interview”.

He said he went back to the same doctor who operated on the left eye and complained about the pains and headache he has been having and he examined it and said that the problem with the right eye was “retina detachment” which needs urgent attention.

Anoliefo said the doctor, however, referred him to Eye Foundation Hospital Lagos. “I went to eye Foundation Hospital on September 3, 2009 where the doctor examined the eye and said that he could correct the retina detachment and the original problem with the eye which is cataract or what they call ‘dislocated lens’”.

He said the doctor at Eye Foundation sent him on some laboratory tests which gulped N 30,000. “It has dawned on me now that my family cannot foot the bill of the operation. The doctor has said that the operation will cost about N600,000, while medicines and other things will cost about N400,000. The left eye has gone; I want to save the right eye, at least to use it to walk without assistance like before.

“The doctor warned that the more I delay the more the eye deteriorates. This is why I cannot keep quiet any more. I am calling on Nigerians to assist to save that right eye.

“I am, therefore, appealling to public-spirited individuals to assist me to have my sight back and continue my normal life,” he pleaded. Those touched by Samuel’s pathetic story and wish to assist him can reach him on: 07038977484, 08050951568 and 08089187033.