Amputee hawker Mary Daniel Onu who was recently in the news for not being completely honest about her condition has apologized to Nigerians.
Speaking to SaharaReporters, Mary Daniel Onu said she lied that her father is dead because he abandoned her.
Mary Daniel also denied reports that she was amputated at birth.
The 27-year-old single mother maintained she was involved in an accident and explained that she didn’t connive with anyone to stage her hawking in Oshodi.
She said it was her grandmother who had been calling her to demand for a share of her donations.
She said:
“My father abandoned me since I was involved in this accident, there was no one to take care of me, nothing! That was why I said he’s dead. But my mother is truly dead. I had an accident truly; I was not amputated from birth.
“It was my grandmother that called me that she does not have anything, that if I have, I should send it. I said let me give her small money so she can use it to manage herself for now. I wanted to send N100, 000, I sent N200, 000 instead.
“She called me and asked why I sent her such a meagre amount, that, do I think she doesn’t know what’s going on, that how will people be contributing money for me and all I do is to send N200, 000. She said I’d rather send more money or she will expose me and I will go back to selling pure water.
“I was shocked and asked what sort of thing is this. She’s my maternal grandmother, she is really old. My aunties and uncles from my mother’s side are the ones pushing my grandmother into this and if she continues like this, later she will regret it.
“I have told her to calm down that I will take care of her but she refused. She is busy following her children around, making videos, that’s their business. Nigerians should forgive me. People that stay on the streets and in noisy places, they hardly have a settled mind and I said my father is late so Nigerians can help me.
“I made a big mistake; Nigerians should please forgive me. I want to open a supermarket in Lagos. I have always been a pure water hawker. Lagos is not the first place, I started from Onitsha, from there, I sold pure water in Asaba from there I came to Lagos. I don’t beg, even in my condition, I hawk that water so I can survive.
“That’s the business I have always been doing. I really appreciate the Lagos state government, Mr Idris, the hotel man that gave me accommodation, that celebrated my birthday. I also appreciate Princess Aderemi, for all the support and everyone that helped. I promise not to fail Nigerians.”
The Lagos State government has also denied reports that it seized the N25 million donated to Mary Daniel Onu following the discovery that she lied.
According to a statement from the State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, Mary Daniel Onu was only handed to a committee set up to assist her in managing the funds.
