Owolabi who narrated his ordeal before the eye surgery during a chat with journalists in Ado-Ekiti, said he had battled with cataract for more than four years, an eye ailment which affected his two eyes and rendered him blind for the period.
The Ado -Ekiti-born bricklayer said he had sold off all his properties to feed himself when he had no means of catering for himself; adding that he had no family member to assist him.
Owolabi explained that he resorted to begging for alms and lived a rather miserable lifestyle when all hope was lost.
He explained that he was asked to bring #120,000 for eye surgery when he visited the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, in Ado-Ekiti, but could not raise the said sum because of his condition.
Owolabi said his hope of regaining sight was rekindled when he heard on the radio that the state government was starting a free eye surgery in some selected parts of the State, as part of the free medical mission of the Fayemi administration.
According to him, he took his chance with the help of a neighbour who took him to the State Hospital Ikere –Ekiti, where he underwent the eye surgery and could now see.
Owolabi said: “I have had cataract for four years and there was no assistance for me to seek medical solution to it. Before the eye incident, I had a barbing saloon but I had to sell off all my properties when I became blind. For those four years, I didn’t know where I was sleeping because I could not see at all.
“ A neighbour took me to the Teaching Hospital Ado and was asked to bring #120,000 for both eyes. I could not afford this so I lost hope of regaining sight. But one day I heard on the radio that Governor Fayemi would be taking a free eye surgery to some parts of the State. So one of my brothers took me to State Hospital Ikere where the eyes were operated free of charge. I appreciate God and Dr Fayemi for giving me another chance to see”, he said.
Owolabi thanked Fayemi for initiating the free eye surgery programme which, according to him, has restored sight to all beneficiaries of the programme and revived hope for others who would want government to seeing was took the had lost all hope of seeing again.
He appealed to the governor to assist him to get a means of livelihood so that he would not continue to beg for alms.
Ayo Midele/Editor
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Pix: Mr. Sola Owolabi, during and after surgery
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