For 14 years running, Senator Osita Izunaso, former National organising secretary of the All Progressives Congress, has not hiding his love for the well being of persons with disability in the society under his pet project called Kpakpando Foundation, writes AMBY UNEZE
The hall of the Ahiajoku Centre located at New Owerri, Imo State was a beehive of activities and the crowd was overwhelming on October 30, 2019. It was indeed the occasion that brought over 1000 persons with disability under one roof courtesy of Kpakpando Foundation, a project that was started 14 year ago by no less a person than Senator Osita Izunaso.
Kpakpando Foundation which has its motto as “…being a brother’s keeper” has not rested in providing succour to the persons with disability with various aides and tools to enhance their wellbeing and comfort. This year’s event has as its theme: “Disability Commission in Nigeria: Beginning of Inclusiveness”.
Its mission and vision remain to provide qualitative education, skills acquisition, healthcare and advocacy to the persons with disability spread across Nigeria as a nation, as well as passionately believes in the ingenuity of persons living with disability, working with them to acquire educational skills and resources necessary to build self-sufficient purposeful lives, thereby unleashing their potentials for the good of their own nation, through sustainability goals by 2026.
The 2019 event presented interesting activities including presence of dignitaries from all works of life. Presenting the Foundation’s resolve on global concern on the sufferings by persons with disabilities and the clarion calls to give them hope, it advised the various tiers of government in Nigeria on the need to speedy up actions and institute a national commission to oversee the welfare and activities of these special citizens.
Chairman of the occasion and Governor of Plateau State, Hon Simon Lalong said “We thank President Muhammadu Buhari for signing into law the first disability rights bills. We call on him to follow it up by setting up the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, we also urge the state governments to domesticate the Act in their various states” he advised.
Similarly, Governor Lalong who was ably represented by Senator Victor Lar, vowed to use his connections in urging the federal government in setting up the commission as being demanded by the foundation.
Quoting the biblical Job 29 vs. 1-2, he pointed out that the mission and vision of the non-governmental organisation is divinely inspired with evangelical touch, noting that what the foundation had achieved in terms of empowerment and capacity building for persons with disabilities in Nigeria most state governments are yet to do one third of it.
Imo State Governor, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, who was the chief host and was represented by Deputy Governor, Hon. Gerald Irona, expressed gratitude to Kpakpando Foundation for giving succor to over 10,000 disabled Nigerians since its inception in 2006.
Ihedioha stated the willingness of his administration to partnering with the foundation and advised the latest beneficiaries numbering over 1000 not to sell the empowerment machines and equipment given to them.
Responding, Senator Osita Izunaso said that “Since October 30, 2006, Kpakpando Foundation has remained committed to the wellbeing of persons with disabilities. At Kpakpando foundation, we believe in the brand of social justice, which is all inclusive, covering both the able and disabled in our society.
In evaluating the persons with disabilities many people are often blinded by their inadequacies. “They fail to see their strengths and ingenuity, they pretended not to see their creative and productive powers, they refuse to understand the insurmountable and indomitable spirits of these great citizens of our country, who inspite of being challenged defeated both physical and mental battles to exist as human beings”, he said.
Izunaso urged the physically challenged not to be cowed either by the despairs that confront them like monsters, or the emotional pains that threatens their happiness but to emulate Robert Hensel, a cripple who proved that no obstacle, not even the seeming disability will defeat his survival.
Also speaking, Mrs. Pat John-Oseh, the Director General Kpakpando Foundation noted that for the past 14 years that the NGO have shown that true humanity is not just by identifying challenges but providing solutions to the challenges, irrespective of the sacrifices that comes with them.
John-Oseh informed that the foundation since its inception have paid school fees for disable persons in their scholarship schemes, donated clutches, food processors, power generating sets, cars, wheel chairs, houses, sewing machines and screened over 400 persons for cataract/glaucoma surgery. She also disclosed that they partnered w SMEDAN to organise trainings in entrepreneurship and other lucrative skills for persons with disabilities in order to give them the needed tools to conquer their world as well as sponsored some of them to Paralympics games and in 2016 some of them won international medals.
The DG further informed that Nigeria has over 25.5million persons with disability demanding assistance to enable them acquire 1,000 capacity special needs school in Nigeria, skills acquisition training and start- up funds, 200 special buses and primary healthcare centres for persons with disability.
