EKITI First Lady marks birthday with PWDs

By Samuel Ogunsona

Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji, on Wednesday celebrated her birthday with students living with disabilities.

The First Lady brushed aside a high-brow ceremony to spend her time with pupils with special needs.

Irohinoodua was informed that she used the occasion to call on privileged members of the society to always remember the People With Disabilities, PWDs.

Dr. Oyebanji was at Ekiti State Government Special School for PWDs located at different centres of Ido Ekiti; Special School for the Deaf, Ikoro Ekiti; Special School for the Blind, Ikere Ekiti and State Reiief and Rehabilitation Centre for the Mentally Challenged in Ado Ekiti to celebrate with the students and inmates.

The First Lady who presented gifts including food items, provisions, drinks and cash to each of the schools visited, said celebrating her birthday with the physically challenged students and being able to put a smile on their faces made her day.

She urged citizens of the state to always identify with the less privileged in order to give them hope.

The First Lady and her entourage were received in each of the schools visited by the principal and staffs of the school and she spent some quality time with the students, encouraging them to see ability in their disabilities.

She also assured them that the Biodun Oyebanji administration accords their welfare and well being top priority as demonstrated in the various support the government has given to the schools in the last one year, including the appointment of a Special Adviser on Special Education and Social Inclusion, whose main task is to promote and defend their interests.

The Wife of the Governor promised to visit the special schools more regularly to spend time with the students, a promise that was greeted with a loud applause by the students.

The visibly elated physically challenged students and inmates of the rehabilitation center sang and danced with the First Lady in appreciation of her gesture. Their teachers and caregivers also commended the Wife of the Governor for the visit and for the gift and cash donations, which they said came less than three months after her last visit to the schools.

They prayed for long life, sound health and more success for the First Lady and her husband, the Governor of the state, in all their endeavors.

The First Lady was accompanied on the visit to the special schools by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Habibat Adubiaro; Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Bolaji Olagbaju; wife of the Speaker, Mrs. Adenike Aribasoye; some members of the State Executive Council, wives of House of Assembly members, All Progressives Congress (APC) women wing, among others.

It is recalled that the First Lady, had earlier in the year visited the schools with gifts and cash donations.

Also, Dr Oyebanji had last month, empowered about 350 widows and orphans during the official unveiling of her pet project, Widows and Orphans Hope Project ( Project WAOH), which focuses on providing support for the less privileged, especially widows and orphans.