Vice President Bawumia turned 58 today.
But as always, he chose to celebrate the day with lepers at the Weija Leprosarium in Accra.
By 9am, the ever-smiling Vice President of a ‘birthday boy’ had arrived at the venue in an all white attire in the company of his wife, Second Lady Samira Bawumia also spotting a white dress with a stylish head gear to match.
Together with them was the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Intergration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, a former Member of Parliament of the Weija-Gbawe constituency which plays host to the leprosarium.
They were met on arrival at the Weija Leprosarium by one of his closest pals in the service of God and humanity, Revered Father Andrew Campbell who is the Founder of the Lepers Aid Committee and Parish Priest at the Christ the King Catholic Church.
He immediately ushered them to a place where the celebration was to take place and said a word of prayer for the celebration to commence.
In his welcome address, the Reverend Father prayed for government to increase the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Fund.
That, he said would serve a great deal of purpose by keeping most of country’s lepers from going to the streets to beg for alms.
He however could not help thanking government and the Vice President for their continued support to the lepers whiles praying for God’s blessing upon them.
For Dr Bawumia, it was a day of mixed feelings since he celebrated his previous birthday with his late mother, Hajia Mariama Bawumia and was thus hoping to this one with her.
He however pray for God to keep her gentle soul and asked Ghanaians to support him in prayers in these trying times.
He reiterated his call for Ghanaians to disabuse their minds about cured lepers to let them feel welcome in society.
Dr Bawumia and his wife offered together with the Minister for Foreign Affairs later offered to serve the lepers an array of food from a buffet table.
“It gives me a lot of happiness internally l to spend time with all of you”, he said.
They later cut a birthday cake to signify the occasion.
The Vice President gave the lepers a parting gift of 100 bags of rice, another 100 cartons of water, 50 crates of soft drinks, a bull and an amount of ₵10,000 for their upkeep.
The lepers in turn presented the Vice President with two paintings and thanked him for his continuous support and love whilst praying for God to bless him and his family and to fulfill his heart desires.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent