Fourteen years after former Edo State Governor and now Senator representing Edo North, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, publicly adopted a nine-year-old blind schoolgirl, Joyce Imasuen Osaivbie, at a disability rights lecture, the young woman has graduated with a Second Class Upper in Law from the University of Benin.

The story began on 4 December 2011 at the inaugural “Rights Above Charity” lecture organised by the Network for the Advancement of People with Visible Disabilities (NAPVID) to mark the United Nations Day for Persons with Disabilities. During the programme, Joyce, then a pupil of the School for the Blind, delivered a flawless Braille-prepared address to the governor. Her eloquence moved the audience to tears and prompted Oshiomhole to make a pledge that stunned the hall.

“I listened to the young girl who read the speech earlier. I have never heard a child, even the non-physically challenged, read like she did. It broke my heart… I want to say publicly today that I want to adopt her as my child,” he declared.

Scepticism that the statement was mere political rhetoric was dispelled days later when Oshiomhole invited Joyce, her family and members of NAPVID to his official residence.

He introduced her to his children and promised to support her education. From then on, he became a constant presence in her life, ensuring she had access to medical care, specialised learning materials and quality schooling.

By 2017, when Joyce turned 15, Oshiomhole marked the milestone with a surprise birthday celebration at her family’s modest home in Benin City, arriving with over 40 aides, including the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly. At the time, Joyce was excelling at Queen’s College, Lagos, where she was described as one of the brightest students.

On Friday, Oshiomhole visited the Imasuen family residence on Upper Siluko Road, Benin City, to celebrate Joyce’s latest achievement.

His presence drew a large crowd of residents who trooped out to welcome him. Speaking with pride, he said, “Rather than lamenting what you cannot change, you choose to demonstrate that with determination, you can still get to where you are going to get to.

There are many people who are not challenged at all, and they cannot get a law degree; they go, and they fail.

Imagine you are making a 2.1 with all the challenges. The sky is your starting point in life.”

Reflecting on her choice of course, he added, “When you told me you were going to read law, I was like, ‘It is a very difficult one; why not political science or public administration or mass communication, which I really think are relatively easier?’ But you chose to read law, and I am happy that, looking back, you were very sure of yourself and you knew you had to put everything into it. You are now a graduate of law.”

Joyce herself expressed deep gratitude for the support she had received. “He made sure that I was always comfortable, and then I got admission into the University of Benin in 2019 to study law. I told him, and he got me a laptop to aid my learning and made sure that my years in UNIBEN were free of stress, except the stress from the school. On 31 January 2025, I finished my programme, and now my result is out, and I am proud to say that I made a 2.1.

It has been almost fourteen years since I have known him, and I am so happy.”

Her father, Michael Imasuen, a teacher, was equally emotional. “What could have been a burden, maybe through my earnings as a teacher, he lifted the burden from me and the child never looked back to work hard to get the best from what he has been supporting her with. With this one, I can tell the whole world that I am very grateful to the pillar of truth, that is Comrade Adams Oshiomhole,” he said.

The Executive Director of NAPVID, Melody Omosah Esq, who had first facilitated Joyce’s meeting with Oshiomhole, emphasised the sincerity of the relationship.

“We owe all gratitude to you, Comrade and what I often tell people is that the relationship you have with her is devoid of politics completely because each time I call to ask when last did she speak to you, she would also confirm the frequency of your conversation with her. Thank you very much.”

From a nine-year-old delivering a Braille speech to a governor at a disability rights lecture to a 21-year-old law graduate celebrated by her community, Joyce’s story has become a symbol of how empathy, opportunity and determination can transform lives. For Oshiomhole, it is a testament to his belief that “there is nothing other people can do that you haven’t shown that it can be done and even better.” (The Guardian)

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