For years, David Albert, a student of Ibeku High School, Umuahia, experienced school from the sidelines.
Each morning, while his classmates gathered for devotion, David often stayed back because there was no accessible pathway to get him there. Moving between classrooms, assemblies, and school activities required him to be carried by fellow students and staff.
Most days, he missed out entirely—not because he lacked the will to participate, but because the system lacked access.
That story changed on the 4th of May, when youth leader and good governance advocate, Daberechi Kingsley Ekejiuba, donated a wheelchair to David.
Accompanied by Paralympian Esther Nworgu and Elite Onyema, Daberechi visited the school in a visit that quickly turned into celebration. David’s father was visibly emotional. Students and staff who had often carried David expressed excitement and relief. The school leadership warmly appreciated the gesture, commending Daberechi and his team for bringing attention to an often overlooked issue.
For the first time, David could move around the school joining his peers and participating fully in school activities.
Speaking to newsmen during the visit, Daberechi said, “We all matter, and we all are equally important. David’s experience is not an isolated case. It reflects a systemic gap in Abia’s education system, where many students with disabilities remain excluded due to the absence of basic infrastructure like wheelchairs and accessibility ramps. David’s case may have been addressed, but how many more Davids are still waiting? We have to do more.”
Using the opportunity, Daberechi called on the Abia State Government to urgently develop and adopt an Education Without Barriers Policy—a framework that ensures every primary and secondary school across the state is equipped with: two functional wheelchairs, accessibility ramps, and inclusive learning infrastructure.
Because inclusion should not depend on acts of kindness; it must be designed into the system.
The presence of Esther Nworgu, a Paralympian who has defied limitations on the global stage, reinforced this message: when given access, everyone thrives.
One wheelchair may have changed a life, but sustainable change will come when no child is left behind.
#InclusiveEducation #DisabilityInclusion #GoodGovernance #AbiaState #EducationForAll #AccessibilityMatters
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