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Fashola & The Limb Corrective Surgery

Written by Odimegwu Onwumere

Wednesday, 25 June 2008

We at Poet Against Child Abuse (PACA) have been joyous with the conduct of the Lagos State governor, Barrister Babatunde Fashola who was reported visitedthe lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, Lagos to console over 40 children currently undergoing limb deformity corrective surgery. This journey was made on Tuesday May 27, 2008.

We have known how taskful it is to perform surgery. Not only are the children perhaps financially poor to foot the hospital bills if the governor had not made it free of charge, but sometimes the surgery has to be repeated thereby the child is subjected to another pain and traumatic condition.

Many children in Nigeria are affected by not only one deformity but also by other serious ailment and many of them are left to their fate and live a sorrowful life till when they could be called to glory. We are today hearing about autism, which was in the early days characterized as witches and wizards omen at the sight of any child suffering from the ailment; but that assertion has been buttressed today as untrue. The true thing about autism is that it is a deformity from birth.

Even that there are jingles created by the different NGOs on children trying to enlighten people on what autism is all about, many people in our society are still ignorant about the ailment and they ostracize autism patients.

It’s thumbs up for Governor Fashola who didn’t show ostracism by visiting these children who are currently undergoing limb surgery at LASUTH. He has created an atmosphere in Lagos devoid of bitterness among parents and their children who are suffering from limb deformity.

PACA learnt that the amiable governor didn’t visit the LASUTH only for tourism sake, he dropped few consoling words to the children thus: “You will soon be okay and become different people. Please don’t be scared, I see you all wearing high heeled shoes soonest.” What a bequeath of hope which will remain indelible in the minds of the children as long as they live dropped by the governor?

Aside the words of encouragement, we learnt that the governor blessed the deformed children with some gifts which include raw foods and other items; he also extended the gifts to some adult-patients in the hospital. We are grateful with the governor and pray God to give him long life and sense of leadership more.

PACA is joining other Nigerians who may have thanked the governor on this feat to say, “Thank you our able governor!”

Our happiness is not only limited to, that the governor visited the deformed, but also that his government made the treatment free. This gesture is unquantifiable and characterizes how the cry of the Nigerian child who was before passing through a lot of rigours and abandonment is today being listened and attended to, like we have seen the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Fashola has exhibited.

PACA is not concerned for the period these children who are going surgery would stay, but we are grateful to God who brought a humanist in the person of the ebullient Fashola. We knew that the wounds of the operation would heal gradually depending on the severity of the deformity of a child.

Albeit, PACA will not fail to thank the ex-Governor of the State, the only dogged High Chief Ahmed Bola Tinubu who started the free limb corrective surgery in 2004, in which not less than 2, 500 people were treated this gesture shows how democrats like Tinubu and Fashola have come to carve a niche for the Nigerian child to enjoy the fullness herein. We are appealing that other mogul Nigerians should join this crusade and establish or invest in other areas that would benefit the Nigerian child who has gushed out tears that are immeasurable. Thanks.

Odimegwu Onwumere, a poet and author, is the Founder, Poet Against Child Abuse (PACA), Rivers State. +2348032552855. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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Comments (1)

	1. Written by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it on 01-07-2008 13:35 - Registered
	the gesture of gov fashola is most laudable, a great example for leaders and all who are financially better than others. however, i have my fears about things as these. the nigerian factor has made many life improving projects end up in the refuse bins of many leaders in the past. once the excitement of such projects dies down and popularity earned, they throw away such initiatives. we are also aware of how aides and persons assigned by many benefactors to ensure thier initiatives are succesful, introduces strangulating bottle necks to enrich themselves to the detriment of the goals of the initiators. we hope and pray that

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