By Sunday Ani
Rotary Club of Global Union, District 9110, Nigeria, has donated six wheelchairs to the Mobolaji Johnson Station of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), Alagomeji, Yaba, Lagos.
Explaining what informed the kind gesture, the president of the club, Akinniyi Fasanya, said it was the experience of one of their elderly members that brought their attention to the situation there.
He said: “There was a day one of the members boarded a train from Ibadan to Mobolaji Johnson Station, Alagomeji, Yaba. The man was with his wife and both of them are in their 90s. When they disembarked, they decided to walk around and see how the station looked but, unfortunately, the woman was not strong enough to walk around and there was no wheelchair to aid her movement. That was when the man felt the need for the station to have wheelchairs for old people, as well as physically challenged people who might want to move around in the station in future.”
According to Fasanya, the man wondered how a beautiful place like Mobolaji Johnson Station could be in Lagos without wheelchairs to cater to the needs of the aged and physically challenged persons.
“So, he brought the idea to us and the club decided to provide wheelchairs to all the railway stations in Lagos and even in Ibadan. However, Mobolaji Johnson happened to be our first port of call or flag-off station. And we are donating six wheelchairs to this station today, Wednesday, June 29,” he said.
He said June 29 was chosen for the donation because it coincided with the man’s 97th birthday: “We are also using this occasion to celebrate his 97th birthday which happens to fall on June 29.”
Receiving the items, the managing director, Nigeria Railway Corporation, Fidet Okhiria, who was represented by Osinowo, thanked the Rotary Club for the gesture, noting that the six wheelchairs would be helpful to those who would need them.
He said: “We appreciate what the club did; it is just like they knew what we needed. Already, plans are under way by the corporation to procure some wheelchairs for the elderly and handicapped. On behalf of the Nigeria Railway Corporation, we thank the Rotary Club and we look forward to seeing them extend the same assistance to other stations as they promised.”
In her comment, the district public relations officer, Mrs. Anthonia Owosanya, also thanked Rotary for the assistance, saying the wheelchairs were provided for those who would want to move around and see the beauty of the station but were challenged by age or physical disability to do so. She noted that there were some customers who would equally need wheelchairs to enter the train: “Some may not want to use the elevator or staircase but, with a wheelchair, it will be easy for them to enter the train or even move around while they wait for departure time. So, it is mainly for the elderly and handicapped.”