21st April, 2017
Mr Jude Uchechukwu, Senior Pastor of World Liberation Assembly, Nsukka says being physically challenged is not reason to become a beggar.
Uchechukwu, who walks with crutches because one of his legs has been amputated, made the remark at Nsukka on Thursday while hosting about 95 physically challenged to a lunch in his church.
According to him, God in his wisdom has blessed every human being he creates with special talents.
“You can see I am also physically challenged and I know what you people are passing through as I have been there before God made me what I am today.
“I feel bad when I see some of you begging at motor parks and on the streets.
“Let me tell you, disability is of the mind and not physical because if you are determined to succeed, you must succeed,” Uchechukwu said.
He said his reason for meeting the physically challenged was to interact with them, to know which skill they could acquire to earn a living.
“As a church, we can solicit help from the public to enable us set up a skill acquisition centre in Nsukka.
“From my findings from the Centre for the Disabled, Nsukka Local Government office, there are 400 registered physically challenged persons, majority of who are beggars, it is not the best.”
He urged the public to stop treating the physically challenged as beggars, adding that such action affected their mindset and make them feel rejected by the society.
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“I beg the public to start treating physically challenged people as their fellow human beings.
“This will give them strength and make them to believe in themselves.
“This idea of throwing N5 or N10 to them on the street and motor parks will not solve their problems.
‘’We should ensure that they have something to earn a living which will help them to stay away from streets.”
Speaking on behalf of the invited guests, Mr Paul Onyebuchi, a blind man, thanked Uchechukwu for his good intentions for the physically challenged, noting that Uchechukwu’s gesture was an eloquent testimony that he was a true man of God.
“God will pay you back all you have used to entertain us today. All of us are willing to work so as to earn living,” Onyebuchi said.