Her Excellency, Dame Edith Okowa, the wife of the Delta State Governor and founder of the health caring ’05 Initiative’, has flagged-off of the last series of the grassroots medical outreach of her State pet project, the ’05 Initiative’ in collaboration with the Restore Sight Africa Initiative and ministry of health in Aniocha/Oshimili Federal constituency of the State.
While flagging off the program today, at the Asaba Convention/Event Center, Dame Edith Okowa, who noted that good sight was for safe living, stated that “living without good sight is the worse thing that could happen to an individual as the eyes are the light of the body”.
Addressing the thousands of beneficiaries drawn all over the State, Dame-Edith Okowa said “the 05 Initiative and it’s partners have moved round the ten federal constituencies in the State performing surgeries, giving free glasses and dispensing eye drops to ensure complete eradication of visual impairment in the society before the end of her husband’s (Governor Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa) administration.
Challenging the over five thousands beneficiaries to make our Lord Jesus their anchor in order to surmount all challenges of life and secure a place in heaven, Dame-Edith Okowa charged critical stakeholders to always reach out to the poor around them, as life was beyond material acquisition, stressing that everyone would be remembered for what they did while in positions of authority.
She lauded the ‘Restore Sight Africa Initiative’ and the ministry of health for partnering with the ’05 Initiative’ in supporting and upholding the vision and for providing mobile clinic for the Aniocha/Oshimili Federal constituency outreach.
In their various remarks, the commissioner for Health, Dr. Mordi Ononye, Director General (D-G) of the ’05 Initiative’, Mrs. Oghenekevwe Agas, and the Coordinator of the of the ‘Restore Sight Africa Initiative’, Dr. Ernest Ogbedo, expressed optimism that the successes recorded in the 19 Federal Constituencies had reduced visual impairment in the State and urged other stakeholders to key into the program even as they commended her for the great feat.
Speaking on behalf of other Local Government chairmen in the Federal Constituency, the Oshimili South council Hon. Kelvin Obi Ezeyili commended the governor’s wife for the kind gesture and reaffirmed their support for the program.
Some of the beneficiaries bared their minds on the program and prayed God to strengthen the governor’s wife to finish strong.
The event which attracted beneficiaries, top government functionaries including the member representing Oshimili North in the State House of Assembly and chief whip of the House, Hon. Pat Ajudua, member representing Oshimili South Hon. Shedrack Rapu, Commissioners, wives of political leaders, Women groups, and other government functionaries featured health talk and brief exhortation.