The Director of Rehabilitation Centre for the Disabled, Old and Tramps (RECDOT) at Ozubulu in Anambra State, Dame Rosemary Odunukwe, has said the centre will henceforth celebrate former Governor Peter Obi’s birthdays with holy mass and prayers.

She said the centre would also accompany the celebration with the cutting of Obi’s birthday cake.

The director said Obi’s presence at such occasions would not matter.

Dame Odunukwe spoke on Sunday during Obi’s 59th birthday by the centre, which was preceded by a holy mass led by Fr. Theophilus Odukwe with the assistance of other reverend fathers at St. Aloysius Church of Divine Mercy Chaplain of the centre.

Addressing reporters after the mass, Dame Odunukwe said the centre was happy whenever they remembered what Obi has been for them.

The director said the ex-governor had taken the children at the centre as his children and continued to shower them with father’s love and concern.

“When Obi was in power, he extended to us what he gave others: one bus from him and one bus from his wife, (as well as) computers, transformer, generator, money, among other. Obi is a father that loves his children.

“In December, 2019, when two of our children wedded, he was the sponsor and he stayed with us for more than three hours, having fun. Seeing how he interacts with us, you would think he was an ordinary person. Last year, he parked all his birthday gifts and brought them to us,” she said.

She also recalled the COVID-19 palliatives Obi also gave them quietly.

Represented by his former Commissioner for Housing, Dr. Patrick Obi, the ex-governor gave the centre his birthday cake, donated N100,000 and asked for face masks to be given to all the inmates in his account.