The accountant-general (AG) of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Uwem Andrew-Essien, has taken up the training of Master Success Idongesit Johnson, a physically-challenged nine-year-old boy with hearing and speech impairment.
The boy, who LEADERSHIP gathered, never had any formal education due to his peculiar challenge, coupled with financial constraints faced by his mother, is an indigene of Oruk Anam local government area of the state.
The AG, who doubles as the permanent secretary, announced the offer when he received a delegation of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) led by the personal assistant to Governor Umo Eno on Persons with Disability Matters, Comrade Ubong Imo Ikpe.
The PWDs were on a courtesy visit to the AG in his office at the Idongesit Nkanga Civil Service Secretariat, Uyo, the state capital.
Andrew-Essien asked the governor’s aide, to liaise with his office to ensure that the boy is enrolled in school during the coming academic session, assuring that he would train the boy in school, and congratulated him on his appointment, advising him to see the position as a call to service.
He said, “This is the first time the state is creating an office for persons with disabilities, I am praying that subsequent administrations will build on this, and I want you to see your appointment as a call to service.”
In his response, Ikpe said they were in the office of the AG to seek collaboration with him to facilitate the education and wellbeing of persons with disabilities and expressed gratitude to Governor Umo Eno for appointing him as one of his aides barely a month of his assumption of office.
“By my appointment, discrimination and segregation suffered by persons with disabilities in assessing government activities, programmes and policies will become a thing of the past,” he said.
Ikpe said, “I came in contact with Master Success Idongesit Johnson, the hearing and speech impaired boy during my visit to Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua.”
He said though the boy was intelligent, he was at home due to the fact that his poor single mother, could not afford his tuition fees in a special school and thanked the AG for taking up the training of Master Success.
