An eye screening exercise had been organized for relatives, friends, teachers, and non-teaching staff of selected schools in Wa, to mark the birthday celebration of the late Alhaji Mumuni Abudu Seidu, prominent educationist and a former Member of Parliament for Wa Central.
People who had knotted with the former lawmaker during his lifetime and in schools where he impacted, turn out to be screened.
As the exercise went on, the name of the former educationist and lawmaker featured prominently as the name kept being mentioned for his contribution to the Wa community and the Upper West Region as a whole.
The beneficiary schools were the Wa Senior High School (WASEC) where he was the headmaster for several years, and the Dan-Ibu Intentional School, which he founded as the first private school in the Upper West Region.
He also played a very important role in the establishment of the Adam International School, as well as the Jahan Training College, both in Wa.
Children of the late Mr M.A. Seidu organized the charitable engagement and more than 300 people participated in the exercise, during which many were diagnosed with cataracts, glaucoma, and other eye infections.
Madam Nuhela Seidu, a daughter who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) after the exercise, said the children organized to remember the birthday of the beloved father rather than his death day.
She said the former lawmaker was a philanthropist and a sympathizer, and they, the children, intended to emulate his shining principles and practices to give more to society.
“We want to keep our father's good name as a household word on the lips of his people and for his name to continue to live on beyond his grave,” she said.
She said even though it was painful and hard to come to terms with his departure, the best way to do some of the good things he stood for to impact more on the lives of people and society for him to have a peaceful resting place in his grave.
Dr Yengpaala Shariff-Deen, an Optometrist at the Friends Eye Centre in Tamale, who conducted the exercise, said the main diseases diagnosed among the participants were cataract and glaucoma and attributed it to old age, exposure to ultra virtual rays, and diabetes, which was also genetic.
He said those diagnosed with the diseases were provided with medications and referred to medical facilities for further medical care and treatment.
Dr Shariff-Deen advised the people in the region to go for regular check-ups, how to manage high blood pressure and diabetes, and try to always wear glasses to avoid dust and heat.
Madam Christine Ayesha Seidu, the widow, said the absence of her beloved husband had created a big vacuum for her and the children.
She, however, assured us that she would continue to follow her husband's footprints by positively impacting people's lives.
Madam Seidu described her late husband as somebody who was an educationist, a politician, and a sports lover, especially tennis ball, and had brought up many students to develop their talent in sports during his tenure as headmaster of Wa Senior High.
The late Seidu was born on January 4, 1939, and died on December 20, 2021.
He would have been 84 years old on January 4, 2023, if he were alive.
