The Director of Rehabilitation Centre for the Disabled, Old and Tramps, Ozubulu (RECDOT), Dame Rosemary Odunukwe, has said that the centre would henceforth commemorate Mr Peter Obi’s annual birthdays holy mass and prayers, as well as with the cutting of Obi’s birthday cake. She said Obi’s presence at such occasions would not matter.
Dame Odunukwe was speaking on Sunday during the celebration of Obi’s 59th birthday by the centre, which was preceded by a holy mass celebrated by Fr. Theophilus Odukwe aided by other fathers at the St. Aloysius Church of Divine Mercy Chaplain of the centre.
Speaking to the press after the mass, Dame Odunukwe said the centre was over-filled with joy whenever they remember what Mr Obi has been doing for them. She said Obi had taken the children at the centre as his children and had continued to shower them with good things and mostly a father’s surpassing love and concern.
“When Obi was in power [as Anambra State Governor], he extended to us what he gave others: One bus from him and one bus from his wife, computers, transformer, generator, monies, among others. Obi is a father that loves his children.
“In December 2019 when two of our children wedded, he was the sponsor and stayed with us for more than three hours having fun. Seeing how he interacts with us, you would think he was an ordinary person. Last year, he parked all his birthday gifts and brought them to us,” she said.
She also recalled the COVID-19 palliatives which he extended to them quietly.
Represented by his former Commissioner for Housing, Dr Patrick Obi, the former governor presented them with his birthday cake, donated N100,000, drinks, noodles and bags of rice to them and asked them to provide facemask to all the inmates in his account.
He advised the privileged in the society to experience genuine happiness by supporting such a centre that cares for the challenged in the society.