Sen. Jarigbe donates N1m to center for visually handicapped in Obudu

By PATRICK ABANG, Calabar –

Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe has donated the sum of 1,000,000 (one million naira) in support of the Center for the visually handicapped in Obudu, popularly known as the St Joseph Centre For The Visually Handicapped, Obudu.

His attention was recently drawn to the abysmal plight of this school which recently came under severe hardship following the withdrawal of the school’s subvention by Governor Ben Ayade led administration

To make matters worse, the school was recently burgled by criminals who made away with all the mattresses in the students hostel leaving them to sleep on bare floors.

The situation was so bad that the head of the school, Rev. Sister Janet-Maria Okorie, said they were considering shutting down this institution.

St. Joseph Center for the visually handicapped was established by the Sisters of St. Mary Medical Mission of the Roman Catholic Church since the 1970s and has catered for generations of handicapped students over decades.

Many have gone from the school to lead very successful academic careers with some of them presently lecturing in higher institutions including the University of Calabar, Cross River State.

Some of them have also gained employment in various areas of human endeavour making them useful to themselves, their families and society instead of hawking their disabilities on the streets.

The school, which in May this year celebrated its 50 years of existence, teaches braille and crafts in addition to normal academic subjects and remains a leading light in the Obudu community and it’s environs.

The head of Centre, Rev. Sr. Jane Maria, has expressed profound appreciation to Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe for his uncommon leadership and concern for the plight of the less privileged in society.

She equally enjoined all public spirited individuals both in public service and private businesses to emulate Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe so as to lift the less privileged from their disabilities so that they can lead useful lives as they are also God’s creatures and need to be catered for.