In a powerful demonstration of its core values, the Committee of Friends for Humanity (COFFHA) brought immediate relief to patients at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, on Tuesday, donating wheelchairs and spontaneously raising funds to cover life-saving surgery for a distressed mother’s son.
The visit, led by COFFHA President Mrs. Augustina Igbokwe, went beyond the planned distribution of mobility aids. While interacting with patients and families, members encountered a mother in tears, desperately seeking financial help for her son’s surgery following a severe accident. Though no provisions had been made for such an expense, the group acted swiftly.
“There was no budget line for it. There was no committee resolution for it. But there was a human need staring us in the face,” Igbokwe recounted. “We all contributed immediately, and right there, we secured the surgery for her son. Wheelchairs are important. Investitures are important. But humanity is most important.”
Igbokwe described the outreach as a deliberate expression of the organisation’s founding principles ahead of the group’s forthcoming investiture of its 7th president.
“The purpose of this gesture is to bring relief to patients who cannot afford mobility aids, to restore dignity to those confined to hospital beds, and to show practical love to the vulnerable in our society,” she said. “As we prepare to usher in new leadership, we believe service must come first. Charity is not just an event on our calendar — it is the foundation on which our committee is built.”
Beneficiaries expressed deep gratitude for the timely intervention. Seyi Olajide, who is awaiting skin grafting after an accident, said the wheelchair would ease his mobility challenges significantly.
“I am so grateful, and I pray God blesses them and rewards every one of them in Jesus’ name, Amen,” he said.
Osala Muazu, an 18-year-old battling osteosarcoma, was equally moved: “I am very excited about the wheelchair given to me because it will help me move faster. May God provide for them and bless them for their good deeds.”
Another recipient, Ime Isaac, described the gift as “more than a mobility aid; it is hope, dignity, and freedom restored.”
Christy Ray Okoye, chairman of the upcoming investiture ceremony, said the outreach reflected the committee’s commitment to service.
Mrs. Abosede Ogundipe, speaking on behalf of the hospital management, welcomed the support.
“I am very delighted… we have some patients that are presently in the ward and are in need of wheelchairs but they couldn’t afford it. This will be of great help to them,” she said.
Igbokwe thanked the hospital and her team, urging them to see the outreach as a message ahead of the investiture: “We do not just talk about helping humanity — we live it.”
For a better society
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