From Victor Nwegede, Abakaliki.
An Ebonyi-born legal practitioner, Barrister Sunday Ununu has urged the recently sworn-in President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu to pay special attention to the welfare of the Persons With Disabilities, PWDs and other less privileged ones in the country.
Barrister Ununu who made the call yesterday in Abakaliki when he received an Award of Excellence from the Nigeria Association of the Blind, appealed to the general public to work towards rehabilitating the physically challenged people in the society.
He described the award by the association as a big challenge to him, and however, assured of improving in addressing the plights of the downtrodden people, especially the PWDs.
The legal luminary said that the members of the Nigeria Association of the Blind unanimously decided to honour him with an Award of Excellence as part of recognizing his contributions to the betterment of the less privileged particularly the physically challenged people in the state.
He further advised the general public especially the well-to-do people to be generous in assisting the vulnerable ones in the society, because, "in this world, there is no hiding place for good gestures given to poor of the poorest."
He maintained that the award would spur him to do more, stressing that "it is encouraging for people to learn how to assist the less privileged ones."
"These less privileged, physically challenged people, need our support to encourage them, especially from the governments. We should be concerned about their welfare, where they live, and their education.
"Therefore, it's my appeal to the administration of the President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu and our dear State Governor, Chief Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru to pay a special attention to the welfare of the physically challenged people throughout their tenures. They need to be rehabilitated through assistance of the governments and a well to do people," he added.
Earlier, former chairman of Nigeria Association of the Blinds, and founder/Pioneer President of Nigeria Physically Challenged Peoples Assembly, Barrister Joseph Enyi described Ununu as a man of humility and ingenuity.
"What motivated us to give him (Barrister Sunday Ununu) an award of excellence is because of his humility and ingenuity. He has done marvellously well in celebrating us; even when he doesn't have much, he assists physically challenged people. He sent many of us to school and provides us with assistance.
"The name of the award is Ugochinyere of Nigeria Association of the Blind and my prayer for him, is that the government of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru should give him an appointment so that he can take care of the physically challenged people more.
"It is our prayer that he will live longer so that he could see the rewards of his generosity to us and other vulnerable people in the society. We pray God should extend his life, and protect him everywhere he is going in Jesus' name Amen."
