By Aideloje Ojo
The El- Amin University has donated food items to the Niger State Leprosium community in Chanchanga area of Minna to celebrate the founder of the University and former first lady, late Maryam Babangida.
Donating the items on Friday , the Acting Vice Chancellor of the University. DR. Emmanuel Zwanbin extolled the legacies of the former first lady explaining that the society and Nigerians are still benefitting from her legacies and humanitarian outreach to the people especially the less privileged.
He said, “the gesture is to commemorate our founder, the late former first lady, Maryam Babangida. I recall that during her lifetime, Maryam Babangida always visited the leprosy communities in the state as part of her humanitarian services to the people”.
He assured of frequent visit to the community adding that, ” we will also assist in sensitising the public about your presence here with a view to eradicate all forms of stigmatisation against leprosy people “.
Receiving the food items donated by the management of El Amin University, the Public Reations Officer of the Leprosy Mission Nigeria, Habila Daneil Dikko said that 80 patients have getten prostesis otherwise known as artificial leg at no cost from the Mission this year
Dikko explained that about 10 fresh cases have been reported this year.
According to him, ” there are 16 patients of leprosy disease in this facility. We have about five leprosy communities in Niger state. As at now there is no vaccines for disease but there are drugs that can heal it and stop further deformity “.
He explained that the facility at Chanchanga is the only centre in the country producing prostecis ,adding that, ” here we produce and donate to the poor people affected by leprosy and have their legs amputated. In this year we have given out over 80 prostecis free to those in need”.
