Elder John Ekong is a blind man from Cross River State Calabar central senatoral district, Calabar municipal. He is married with four children, his wife is from benue state Idoma by tribe and she is beautiful, kind, that’s how he described the wife.
His first daughter, Clara is schooling at Federal polytechnic, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State and his second born is Sunny, he stopped at secondary school because he is not too good academically. So, he went into auto repairs apprenticeship. His third born is Agnes who finished secondary school two years ago with good result and scored 258 in her JAMB and also passed her post UME exam at University of Ilorin, so, he is borrowing and borrowing with his wife to make sure Agnes goes to the University since she passed. His last born is Miracle; she is a child with intellectual disability (cerebral palsy). She is now in a privately owned special school in Lugbe, Abuja.
Elder John Ekong did his Secondary School at Government Secondary School, Rano, in Kano State, got his A levels also in Kano before proceeding to University of Ibadan where he studied English Language. He is also a trained horticulturist by International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).
In this brief interview by our correspondent Kenneth Alabaraonye, he shared how he lost his sight and the challenges and discrimination that follow thereafter.
TQM: What is your working experience like and how did you lose your sight?
l worked as an entrepreneur all my life, I was into horticulture and landscape development. I was well known as John flower around my community before I lost my sight. I lost my sight as a result of glaucoma. I started having a diminishing sight suddenly and when I visited the hospital, I was diagnosed of glaucoma and I was advised to go for the surgery, which I did in Kano and it was successful and I started seeing well and came back to Abuja and started my business but one day in church while we were having a mid-week service I discovered my sight has diminished again totally and that’s how it has been till date.
TQM: So, since then Sir what have you been doing to survive?
I stopped my business and started supporting my wife in her business in advisory capacity because she sells bean cakes, pap, yam and fish. It’s been difficult for my family since I lost my sight. I was involved in a domestic accident that left me paralyzed and money for physiotherapy is hard to come by.
TQM: Have you faced any kind of discrimination since you became blind?
The discrimination I face daily is not palatable. I hope the society will understand the challenges of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and begin to help to eliminate the barriers around them and also learn to respect them as it were and come to the aid of people with disabilities. My wife has been there for me because she cares for me.
TQM: Is there any information you might want to share with the public, the government or your community?
I would love to meet foundations, non-governmental organizations, faith based organizatios that care for people with disabilities. My wife needs assistance in her business so we can sustain ourselves better. I want the government to sensitize the public on how to treat people with disability better and the executive secretary of the disability commission should also have a head count of people with disability so that the commission would know how to intervene in their lives.
