Osamudiamen Omoruyi was all smiles as he walked around the hall without the aid of crutches. It was the first time he could do so without using crutches since 1999 when his right leg was amputated after an accident. At the beginning, he had difficulty walking with the new prosthetic limb given to him by the Edo State First Lady, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki in collaboration with the ISHK Limb Centre, and St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Benin City.
Omoruyi said he only responded to announcement he heard on radio that the office of the First Lady had made arrangement to provide free limbs to persons whose legs were amputated and was surprised that he was given a free limb.
He said he could not raise between N250,000 and N1m to buy artificial limb which was why he has been using crutches since 1999.
According to him, “I had an accident in 1999 and my leg was cut off. That was how it happened. I thank the First Lady for the kind gesture to help us to walk again. God will bless her. I appeal to other rich individuals to also assist those in need of such things. This is my first time of having artificial limb since 1999. Some are sold for as much as N1m. It is difficult for people to raise such money to buy it.”
Omoruyi was among 300 amputees who were provided with free prosthetic limb by Mrs. Obaseki. The amputees came with wheel chair and crutches but walked away without any assistance.
Another beneficiary, Mr. Bright Osaigbovo, whose leg was amputated last year, said he couldn’t afford an artificial limb because it was expensive.
“They told me to look for N240,000. I was thinking of how to get the money when I got information that Governor Obaseki want to help us. I went to St Theresa Catholic Church and got registered. Today I have received my limb. I can walk around very well.”
Addressing the beneficiaries, Mrs. Obaseki said it was donated free by a foundation, the Toloram Group, whose aim is to help the poor around the world.
Mrs. Obaseki expressed optimism that the prosthetic limp would uplift their lives as they would no longer depend on others for movement.
She said the state government was ready to provide succor to physically challenged persons to enable them move from one place to another to cater for themselves and help integrate them back to the society.
Branch coordinator of ISHk Limb Centre, Mr. Bidlan Jaiprakasy, said the essence of the donation was to make the physically challenged persons move about and engage in something meaningful in the society.
Representative of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Augustina Odenore, thanked the Edo state government for their support and told the beneficiaries that more training on how to how to use the limbs and other tools to walk would start January 2019.
Ufuchukwu Samuel who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries said Mrs. Obaseki has removed tears from their eyes as it was difficult walking about with crutches.
Samuel said he refused to ask for the price of artificial limbs because he didn’t want to add to his pains.