Ann Obehi Ojugo is an activist with disability who sees the happiness other persons with disabilities as a thing of joy which she has exhibited by selflessly assisting other persons with disabilities(PWDs) to meet their needs.
She was born on 10th day of May, 1970 into the family of Mr Christopher Asin Ojugo and Mrs Rosaline Ojugo but sadly, she have lost both parents.
Ann Ojugo who hails from Esan South East Local Government Area, attended Orhuen primary school Ubiaja, Obiaza Girls secondary School Ubiaja and Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma Edo state
In this interview, we found out her exploits as an activist with disability, challenges while growing up as a woman with disability and why women with disabilities encounter challenges when it comes to relationship.
TQM: How did your disability occur?
My disability happened when I was six years old, I was given an injection without knowing I had polio.
TQM: Growing up and living with disability how challenging was it?
It was difficult for me because I lost my mother at the age of 8 though my father was alive then but still, it was not easy for me, it was really challenging. I always stay at home even when someone comes to our house, I will be sent to the inner room so that our guests will not see me. My stepmother and my siblings were also ashamed of me because of my disability, they always come up with all sort of neglecting attitudes and most times, they will beat me up for no reason simply because they look at me as if am different from them and I am burden to them.
In school, I also faced a lot of challenges starting from my primary education. I had to persuade my father continually before he accepted to enroll me in school, I started my primary education in 1982.
I had to crawl in all fours to school because I had no wheelchair or crutches. I was sometimes using a fragile stick and at times, some pupils will collect the stick from me and beat me up and I was sure that they did not know the implication of what they were doing.
It was challenging also at home, due to the pressure at home, l had to go out to the street doing all sort of menial jobs like frying of garri for some people and peeling of cassava just to take care of myself. After my secondary school, I was selling salt in the market just to make ends meet. In the church, some people were finding it difficult to stay close to me, it got to extent that they complained to the parish priest demanding that I should be stopped from receiving holy communion while some people went as far as trying to convince the parish priest to ban me from entering the church premises because they believe that my disability was as a result of my witchcraft.
There was also another issue I am not ashamed to tell the world about, as a young girl with disability, I was raped but I was afraid to speak out because nobody will believe me, they would be saying who will even look at me to let alone raping me but second time, it happened, I spoke out and that was how I put a stop to it. These are few of the things I went through growing up with a disability.
TQM: How did you manage to fund your education?
My father supported my primary education from primary 1 to 4, but from primary 5, I got a scholarship from my local government through the help of Mrs. P. O Nebobo. The scholarship saw me through my secondary education, and through the help of catholic church, I was able to write SSCE and God’s willing, I made all my papers in one sitting. JAMB was a thorn in my flesh, I wrote JAMB three times but all my results were withheld so I had to save up and visit jamb office in Lagos to enquire about the real reason for all my withheld results, they made a promise to release the last result but it was already late for me to get back to Edo state so I was stranded but luckily I ran into an old friend who linked me up with the family of Dr Emmanuel and Mrs. Jane Ejiwere who hails from my place, they have been very supportive of me even from my days in the primary school to the extent that the first wheelchair I used was courtesy of them. On finding out that I was in Lagos on a quest to further my education, they took up the responsibility of funding my University education.
TQM: How did you start the advocacy for the rights of persons with disabilities and what are your achievements so far?
It all started from my university days, one day in school I saw a guy who was crawling to a lecture class because he doesn’t have a wheelchair then I said to myself, I could do something to help him, so I appealed and raised money to get him a wheelchair. Thereafter, it became part of me to help anybody with disability in whatever way that I can. As I graduate, I was fortunate to be posted to Nasarawa State for my NYSC. My place of primary assignment was Lafia. There, I saw so many persons with disabilities always on the street to beg for alms, so after my daily activities, I was meeting up with them and sharing ideas. That was how I came up with a TV program titled “You and the Handicap” which was sponsored by then governor of Nasarawa state Al-makura Tanko and former Minister of Information Labaran Maku.
I was honoured by Nasarawa government with a merit award in 2004 after my NYSC. In international scene, I was the first Nigerian woman with disability to be elected into the board of Community-based Rehabilitation African network. A position I am still holding till date.
In 2005, when I came back to Edo state, I started working with PWDs from there, I founded an NGO named Unique Love for Persons with disabilities through the NGO, I came in contact with the Daughters of Charity (St Vincent the Paul) and they have exposed me to a lot of self-development training, field works and advocacy work which boosted my capacity to work for persons with disabilities.
My pattern of advocacy in Edo State is engaging parents of children with disabilities, village chiefs and other people enlightening them to change their mindset about persons with disabilities and we are also linking PWDs with job opportunities which we have successful rescued jobs for 50 persons with disabilities in my local government area.
TQM: May I know your marital status?
I am still single
TQM: This brought me to a worry situation which has to do with challenges PWDs especially Women and Girls with disabilities are facing when it comes to relationship and marriage. May I get your thought on this?
The challenges faced by women with disabilities in relationship includes discrimination, rejection, insincerity on the part of the men, exploitation, low self-esteem, fear of the unknown ie can the woman conceive and give birth, peer pressure on the part of the men, also social economic problem.
TQM: Parting words for persons living with disability
PWDs should be cautious of one another and should not take their disability as a weakness rather live with it and work it. Federal Government should as a matter of urgency start implementing the Nigeria disability act by establishing National Disability Commission and Edo State Government should pass and sign Edo State Disability Bill into Law so that the next generation of PWDs should not pass through what we are suffering.
