Minister of women affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen and the Archbishop of Abuja Diocese, Bishop Ignatius Kaigama, have urged Nigerians to support and channel their energies towards building a society where Persons Living with Disabilities (PWDs) will feel at home and be loved.
They stated this at the 31st edition of special Easter Monday celebration for the PWDs, organised by a non-governmental organisation, the Sir David Osunde Foundation (SDOF).
At the event, over 1,000 wheelchairs, crutches, bags of rice, and others were donated to PWDs by the foundation.
Speaking during the distribution of the items at the Holy Family Society National Pilgrimage Centre, Gosa, Sabin-Lugbe, Abuja, Tallen urged all Nigerians to partake in such a gesture.
She commended the foundation for helping the less privileged for more than 30 years saying, “We must do all we can to share what God has given us with the disadvantaged, and to touch lives.”
On his part, Bishop Kaigama, admonished Nigerians to stop fighting over religion, tribe or politics, but channel their energies into building a society where PWDs will feel at home and loved.
“This is a duty that needs to be done; we sometimes waste so much time on things that do not matter; this foundation is calling our attention today.
“We are so concerned about very big projects that are of national and international value, but when it comes to the people who matter, people who just need basic things to survive, we are lacking.
“We are invited to a work of love and charity; helping the sick, works of mercy; I am calling on everyone to get engaged,” he said.
The founder/president of the foundation, Sir David Osunde who was represented by Dr Anthony Osunde, said the gesture is part of the foundation’s goal to take disabled people off the street and empower them.
He said the beneficiaries for this year’s celebration were more than 1,000.
“I think the beneficiaries run into the 1,000s. This is the skeleton portion because since the onset of Boko Haram and COVID-19 we’ve been scaling.”
“This used to be a two-day event and if all the members would come, we wouldn’t have accommodation for two days. The coordinators will also ensure that the gifts get to all the various members. It’s running into the 1,000s,” he said.
