Sola Adeyemo
Dr. Ifeoma Bibiana Okoli was not born blind and the impairment is not congenital but adventitious. She developed the sight problem when she was just eight years old.
Ifeoma’s mother sensed all was not well when she checked
her daughter’s notebooks and discovered that she was writing above the margin.
Even with the real challenge of being virtually
impaired, Ifeoma has left everyone stunned as she breezed through different schools
and acquired different degrees. She believes that no impediment can stop her
yearnings to conquer. It was Ifeoma’s
determination that made her today to become the first female in Anambra State
with visual impairment to bag a PhD.
On November 17, 2021, she was among graduating
students conferred with doctoral degree at the Founder's Day and 73rd
Convocation Ceremony held at the International Conference Centre of the
University of Ibadan.
Our reporter recently ran into her and during an interaction,
she expressed a great delight at the feat she had so far attained.
According to her sister, Nneka Okoli, Ifeoma is the
first child of late Mr. Obiabusi Vincent Okoli and Mrs. Ijeoma Beatrice Okoli,
both from Ezihu village, Igboukwu, in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra
State. She spent most of her years in Abakaliki where her parents lived and
worked. In 1985, she was forced to drop out of school at the commencement of
her final examination in secondary school.
Nneka further explained on her Facebook wall: “Ifeoma
has been battling with failing eyesight due to a degenerative eye disease known
as Retinitis Pigmentosa. When the visual challenge started, her parents took
her to several eye clinics in quest for a remedy, but unfortunately none was
found. It was when she was writing her final papers that she realised she had
lost her sight. She was devastated, especially in view of the fact that she
loves education. After the initial phase of non-acceptance, sorrow and pain,
Ifeoma, through the assistance of a cloistered nun enrolled at St. Joseph
Rehabilitation Center for the Blind, Obudu, Cross River State. There she acquired the requisite skills that
will enable her pursue her academic dreams. Armed with this skill, Ifeoma
resolved to pursue her academic studies to the highest possible level. This
resolve is what is being celebrated as she is conferred with a doctorate degree
in Special Education.”
Recollecting her journey, Ifeoma said: “The journey
has been rough and smooth. I thank God first, and secondly, my parents who
promised to give me sound education and did it. The idea is for us to be
independent in life and successful human beings. I’m the first female in Anambra State with
visual impairment to bag a Ph.D. I’m also the second out of those who graduated
from St. Joseph Rehabilitation Centre for Visually Handicapped, Obudu, Cross
River State, to also have this degree.”
She explained that during her undergraduate days in
the University of Ibadan, she was two-time President of Special Persons Club
and the Coordinator of the Club at the post-graduate arm.
She added: “I have done many scholarly research
works, presented and published. In Oyo State, I’m a member of Willing Hands
Initiative, an association working towards making sure that the rights of
persons living with special needs are accorded to them. We take care of their
interest and inclusion in all walks of life. Again, I’m one of the members who
travelled to Abuja for the domestication of Violence Against Persons with
Special Needs Prohibition Act on 25th February 2021, where it was assented to
by the Executive Governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde.”
She urged parents to monitor their children,
recalling that her visual impairment was adventitious and not congenital. She said: “My family gave me the supports
needed, which gave me the courage to take up the challenge. I’m the first of eight
children. One is late, but my parents never discriminated among us at all. True,
there was some psychological trauma along the line, but I was able to cope to
this level. I coped through hard work, determination and resilience and then I
was able to attain this height. Everybody should know that with determination,
disability is not a barrier to attaining great feats in life. It takes
perseverance, consistency and prayer while trusting the God to make.”
Remembering how she became visually impaired, Ifeoma
said that it started with just an ordinary eye pain when she was eight years
old. Soon, however, her vision worsened until it got to the stage she could no
longer see.
She recalled: “In my family, there is this tradition
that when you return from school, and before you take your lunch, everyone would
have to submit their classwork done on daily basis to our mother. She would go
through each thoroughly. It was during such days, while mom was going through
our books that she observed that instead of writing on the margin, I was writing
above the margin. She was the one that noticed it, and that is why I encouraged
all mothers to live up to their expectations as mothers. Many mothers of these
days do not have time for their children because they are pursuing so many
things at the same time. Supposing my mother didn’t discover the disability,
things could have been worst for me.”
Ifeoma enthused that her mom, Mrs. Ijeoma Beatrice
Okoli, is her role model, a mentor and a virtuous woman. She explained that her
mom was dear to her, adding that most mothers these days do not create enough
time for their children. “This is why I
always advocated that mothers should care less about making money, but give quality
attention to the welfare of their children and wards. I’m grateful to her for
all she had done for me. Though my father, Obiabusi Vincent Okoli, is late, I
will also be eternally grateful to him,” said Ifeoma.
Further recollecting challenges she encountered in
achieving her great feats, Ifeoma said: “The first challenge is trauma. Like I
told you, the problem is not congenital. My parents took me to various
hospitals to meet opthalmologists and they couldn’t identify what the condition
was. They said there was no solution and that I would have to live with it. It
was traumatic for me, but because of the people I had around, which are my
family members, I was able to overcome. I always told them that ‘men had said
theirs,’ but God has the final say. I still continue to look forward because I
know God has many things in store for me in the future.”
Still speaking on her challenges, Ifeoma said that while
at the Abubakar Salami Hall, where she lived as a student, she contested as a
governor. This was even as everyone knew that in the history of the hall, no
woman had ever contested for governorship. Ifeoma broke the jinx.
She narrated: “I broke the jinx although I did not
win the election. It however gave me the courage and satisfaction to know that a
woman had participated. But that challenge led me to being appointed as member
of Gender Mainstream Organization in the University of Ibadan through Professor
Stella Odebode, and till date, I’m still working with them.”
According to Ifeoma, having worked tirelessly for a
period of 13 years for her first degree and then her Ph.D, she has that strong
will and ability that if given the opportunity to lecture in the institution, she
would grab the opportunity with both hands.
She said: “I need to impact what the University of
Ibadan has deposited in me. I also have the intention of having a nongovernmental
organisation (NGO) because so many people contribute to make me what I am today;
that’s asides God. I want to be a mentor in order to help others living with
special needs, to give hope and for them to actualize their dreams. With this my height, I have conquered
disability because in every disability, there’s ability. This visual impairment
has given me opportunity to wine and dine with eminent personalities because I
have travelled far and wide to several countries outside Nigeria for
conferences, workshops and seminars. I have quite a number of scholarly
published papers. I’m also a member of quite a number of international organisations.”
Ifeoma urged the federal government to do more by
giving persons with disabilities employments. Government, she further argued,
should also give them scholarship, “because most of us came from poor families.
The FG should give us health-insurance, housing and other things that will make
us feel included in the society, including paving the way for us to be able to
participate in politics.”
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