A professor in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Head of Department (HOD) Special Needs education Prof Mrs Victoria Onu have stumbled on a family in Eha-Alumona community Enugu State, where members are physically challenged without any means of livelihood for decades of their health challenges.
Prof. Mrs Onu first female Professor of Creativity in Africa said that she has been shouldering the challenges of the family for the past eight years she came in contact with the family at Umabor village Eha-Alumona, Nsukka local government area, Enugu State.
Professor Onu
“I didn’t know the family before now, I was touched by their unbearable health challenges of father, three sons physically challenged, impaired eyes, withered hands and legs and speechlessness for several decades without food and water.”
The family lives in the mud house of a single room attachment where the entire family squat day and night while their aged mother struggle to feed both the blind husband and three adult sons before the intervention of Prof Mrs Onu who currently feeds, buys drugs and embarked on construction of toilet facility for the family.
“I’m excited about the way the family takes life very simple, not minding their impairment challenges, something has to be done urgently to give them a sense of belonging” she stressed.
Prof. Onu pleaded to the federal, state and local governments, donor agencies, churches, philanthropists, NGOs across the globe mostly Nigerians in the diaspora to come to the aid of Eze family in Umabor village Eha-Alumona community, Nsukka local government area, Enugu state to assist the family in any small way to find food and water.
Briefing with reporters at the family compound Eze Edwin Onyebuchi first son of the family who is on a wheelchair said Prof Mrs Onu has been the only one helping us to feed daily, buy drugs, and other things for the past eight years she came in contact with the family.
“I learnt a mobile phone accessory business but lacked finance to establish before mummy (Prof Mrs Onu) came to our assistance, established a small poultry farm with about 40 birds which some people came and stole.
“When we were born in the Enugu metropolise none of us had any deformity. I cooked with my mother the previous night and couldn’t stand up the next day and from that point my legs started shrinking till I became totally paralyzed till date. My Parents exhausted their resources trying to revive me, there’s no known hospital in Enugu I’ve not been at the early stage of my problem,” said Prof. Onu.
Sunday
“As my parents were battling with my condition, my juniors Sunday Eze and Izuchukwu took turns, their hands, legs withered, they became paralyzed and later our father went blind totally. That’s how we find our lives leaving at the mercy of God before relief came from mummy who took our health challenges to heart with food and drugs among others.”
“Just enter inside and see our father lying down with two of my junior ones. This is the state of our lives. We were born healthy schooling at Maris College, Okigwe Imo state before my problem began. We are appealing to both federal and state governments to assist us to eat while we wait for God. No assistance tendered to us will be too small as we presently survive at the mercy of our mummy professor Mrs Onu.
She is currently constructing a water closet toilet facility, established shall poultry with birds, buy food stuffs drugs among others. We are soliciting help from philanthropists, NGOs, and private individuals to assist us eke out means of livelihood.
Also, in a brief interview Mrs Mary Ugwoke Eze mother of the entire family cripples and the blind husband said while numbing that she can’t describe what had befallen the entire family, adding that Prof Mrs Onu has been there for the family for the past years for food, drugs and clothes.
