BENIN CITY – In the spirit of Christmas, the Christabel Otueroro Foundation (COF) has rolled out Christmas party for children with disabilities last weekend in Benin City.

The party which was attended by physically challenged children from various care homes in Edo State and their care givers featured dance, singing, poems and refreshments with a theme “happy children, blessed children”.

According to the Executive Director/Convener of COF, Comrade Onome Otueroro “it has become a tradition for the foundation to celebrate special needs children because we believe that children with disabilities deserve to be cared for. In the spirit of the Yuletide, they deserve to have a feel of it just like every other child”.

Speaking further, Mr. Otueroro said “We are doing this to promote inclusiveness because every child matters and deserves equal right to access the world irrespective of their birth conditions”.

He also called for more supports for people with disabilities ” I want to use this opportunity to solicit more supports from the public and stakeholders for children with special needs because really these people, their families and caregivers need the supports to alleviate the suffering they go through”.

The Chairman of the occasion, Mr. Kingsley Oromonsele hailed the foundation for putting smiles on the faces of the physically challenged in the state. According to him ” every 24th of December, we look forward to this party. This is because for the past nine years, this foundation has not failed to lavish Christmas party on children with disabilities. COF has indeed demonstrated love for special children and I wish to thank the Foundation on behalf of many children with special needs here today”

Mr. Oromonsele however called on Edo Government to urgently domesticate the Discrimination Against Persons With Disabilities (Prohibition) Acts 2018 which was passed by Federal Government in 2019 to protect the physically challenged persons in the state.

“We see Edo state government as our father and Disability Act as our last hope. Currently the discrimination physically challenged persons face is too much; in education, health, employment and even housing, they are too many to mention. But much of these challenges have been addressed in the Act that once domesticated in Edo State, will bring relief to us”.

Also, the matron of COF and a former Commissioner for Social Development and Gender Issues in Edo State, Hon. Mrs. Florence Gbinigie appealed to Edo Government to allocate more funding to the ministry because according to her “it is the ministry that takes care of people with special needs in the state”.