Senate leader donates vehicles, wheelchairs to Ekiti disabled children centre

The Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has donated two mini-buses, two motorcycles, and 25 wheelchairs to the Therapy Centre for Children with Disabilities in Ado Ekiti.

A statement in Ado Ekiti on Monday by the Special Adviser to Ekiti State Governor, Yinka Oyebode, stated that the Senate Leader’s gesture was in support of Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s significant investment in the welfare of children with disabilities in the state.

The Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, presented a gift to one of the children with disabilities in Ado Ekiti on Monday, April 7, 2025. | Credit: The Punch

Oyebode, who stated that Bamidele made the donation during a visit to the Therapy Centre alongside the governor on Friday, said that the items were received by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Education and Social Inclusion, Princess Adetoun Agboola.

Bamidele praised Oyebanji for his commitment to the welfare of children with disabilities, noting that “this therapy centre is the first state-owned facility of its kind in the country” as he promised to facilitate a bigger one for them next year.

Two buses, motorcycles and wheelchairs were donated by Senator Bamidele to the Therapy Centre for Children with Disabilities in Ado-Ekiti on Monday, April 7, 2025. | Credit: The Punch

The senator said, “Let me begin by thanking our governor for bringing me here to see what’s happening. I also want to thank the state government for conceptualizing this initiative. I extend my gratitude to the workers, the volunteer parents, the professionals and all the interveners here. I am glad to be here and I believe we need to attract all the encouragement we can from the Federal Government.

“The governor has made a specific request. I always describe our relationship as a partnership that is working for the people of our state. By the grace of God, I will prioritize this as my number one constituency project for 2026.

“From my budget of N1.5bn for construction, I will take it on, and by God’s grace, we will commence work here next year. In the meantime, let us see how we can maintain the current facilities and explore corporate social responsibility interventions until the new building is ready.”

Oyebanji had earlier urged the federal lawmaker to facilitate the construction of a bigger structure that could accommodate all the children simultaneously, allowing them to attend the Centre daily.

The governor had said, “Distinguished Senator, the reason I brought you here is that we currently have 70 children, but due to a lack of space, we must attend to them in batches. Premium Trust Bank has renovated this facility for us, and with our limited resources, we have been able to keep it operating. I brought you here to see the need for a bigger structure that can accommodate more children at once.”

In her remarks, the SA on Special Education and Social Inclusion, Agboola, said that “the Centre served children with cerebral palsy, autism, and other disabilities, particularly those who could not fit into traditional schools due to the severity of their conditions”.

Agboola commended the governor for providing a facility where children requiring physical, occupational, and speech therapy could receive assistance until they were capable of returning to school.

She noted that the Centre had designed a timetable allowing no more than 20 children to be transported from their homes each day using the bus provided by the governor.

The SA also expressed gratitude to the Senate Leader for the donated vehicles, motorcycles, and wheelchairs, stating that the items would greatly enhance their work at the Centre.