A non-governmental organisation, Livelihood Support Initiative (LSI), has donated items worth over N100million to the 57-year-old Vocational Blind Training Centre in Bida, Niger state, for the advancement of the trainees at the centre.
The group also rehabilitated the centre which was in a dilapidated shape to an international standard.
Handing over the items to the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, on behalf of the centre, LSI Head of the Initiative, Dr Kelly Nwogwu, urged Nigerians to join hands with organisations like theirs to help physically challenged persons so as to reduce crime rate in the society.
He said the first phase of intervention for the Vocational Blind Training Centre included classrooms, hostels, administrative block and a staff quarters which were in a bad condition.
Dr. Nwogwu said the choice of Bida was as a result of an invitation by the emirate to replicate what he was doing in Lagos and other places in the country.
According to him, “What informed this gesture was that my mother is without legs, and I am her only child. So, for that I decided to always help the needy, especially people with disabilities.
“My appeal to Nigerians is for everyone to help the less privilege, If we don’t help them, their children will suffer and crime rate would increase. Poverty and disability lead to crime.”
According to him, he budgeted about N100 million as an endowments fund for Emirate and pledge to utilise the 20hecres of land given to his organisation by the Etsu Nupe.
Some of the Items donated include wheel chairs, sewing and grinding machines, generators, brails, clippers, mattress and mosquito nets among others.
Receiving the items on behalf of the emirate, Alhaji Abubakar urged Nigerians to love one another so as to overcome the challenges the country was presently facing.
“I am impressed that a fellow Nigerians not even from this state is extending his hand of fellowship to the needy in this domain. He was here only last week and promised to come back in a week or two. He has fulfilled his promise and his action is worthy of emulation by other Nigerians,” he said.
