By Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka
Abuja
The Member of the House of Representatives for AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency, Hon. Joshua Chinedu Obika, has partnered with the Beautiful Gate Handicapped People Centre for a wheelchair distribution initiative aimed at supporting persons living with disabilities across the constituency.
The program was held at Obika’s constituency office along the Zuba Expressway in Kubwa and drew a large turnout from the disability community, with attendees representing various wards across AMAC/Bwari.
Also present were key stakeholders, including Labour Party chairmanship candidate for AMAC, Hon. Okeke Kingsley “OK,” and several councilorship aspirants, underscoring the cross-party interest in the initiative.
The Chairperson of the Beautiful Gate Handicapped People Centre expressed gratitude to Obika for his response to their request, describing him as “a man of wisdom, integrity, and a role model for justice” for his commitment to non-discriminatory representation.
He stressed that mobility aids such as wheelchairs are critical for movement and independence, and appealed for greater inclusion of persons with disabilities in employment opportunities.
In his address, Obika commended the centre for “practicalizing humanity” and acknowledged the economic hardship that prevents many from affording mobility devices. He said supporting the less privileged, particularly persons with disabilities, must remain a primary community focus.
The lawmaker reiterated his advocacy at the federal level, including an appeal to the Minister for the official inclusion of a representative for persons with disabilities in his office. He said inclusivity should be a standard in all public offices.
“This is just the beginning,” Obika pledged, promising continued support and collaboration. He told beneficiaries that regardless of their condition, they have the potential to achieve their aspirations.
The event concluded with the symbolic distribution of wheelchairs to beneficiaries, led by Obika alongside other party leaders, and an award presentation in recognition of his humanitarian service.
In a separate development, the Hon. Joshua Chinedu Obika Solidarity Movement, a non-partisan coalition of high-profile community leaders, has endorsed the lawmaker for a second tenure in the National Assembly.
The movement, drawn from ten wards of the Bwari Area Council and comprising members from different political parties, geopolitical zones, and religious backgrounds, said the endorsement followed a review of his first three years in office.
Chairman of the movement, Hon. Johnson Olatunde Ayo, said the decision was based on Obika’s legislative achievements, constituency projects, and accessibility to the people. “Our movement is strictly non-partisan. This endorsement is about merit and performance, not party lines,” he stated.
Ayo called on residents and stakeholders across the ten wards to support Obika’s second-term bid to ensure continuity in the constituency’s development agenda, describing the endorsement as a message that “we stand with Hon. Obika because he has stood with us.”
