Jarigbe Agom Supports Centre For Visually Handicapped, Obudu Following The Withdrawal Of Subvention From C’River State Govt

The Senator representing Cross River Northern Senatorial District, Sen Jarigbe Agom, has donated the sum of 1,000,000 ( One million Naira) in support of the Center for the visually handicapped, popularly known as the St Joseph Centre For The Visually Handicapped, Obudu.

The gesture came as his attention was drawn to the plight of this School which recently came under severe hardship following the withdrawal of subvention to the School by Gov Ayade. To make matters worse, the school was recently burgled by criminals who made away with all the mattresses in the student’s hostel leaving them to sleep on bare floors.

The deplorable situation became so bad that the head of the school, Rev Sister Janet-Maria Okorie, said they were considering shutting down the 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 to 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 celebrated its 50 years of existence in May this year, 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, expressed profound appreciation to Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe for his uncommon leadership and concern for the plight of the less privileged in society.

She used the opportunity to call on spirited individuals both in public Service and private businesses to emulate Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe 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.