We’ve been sidelined, physically challenged persons tell Bauchi govt
Physically challenged people in Bauchi State have lamented that contrary to their expectations, Bauchi State government has not deemed it fit to consider their plights almost a year after assumption into office.
The Bauchi State Chapter Secretary for Physically Challenged Association of Nigeria, Buhari Adamu Jamda, who disclosed this in an exclusive interview with our correspondent on Sunday, appealed to Governor Bala Mohammed to look into their plights with a view to ameliorating their sufferings.
“I want to draw the attention of the Bauchi State government and the ruling party, PDP, to look into our plight. You know, we the people with disability played a vital role in seeing to their emergence as our leaders.
“We have good expectations from this government that’s why we want to remind his Excellency, Governor Bala Mohammed not to forget us in his kingdom,” Buhari pleaded.
The Secretary for the physically challenged persons in the state, who alleged that his members are yet to start benefiting from the present administration in the state, noted that their counterparts in the neighbouring Gombe, Yobe, Borno and other states have since started receiving interventions from their governments.
Buhari, who said there is an existing agency in Bauchi for people living with disability and the state assembly had recently passed a bill in their favour, explained that they have been left behind in terms of devidends of democracy.
Buhari, who noted that although they are physically disabled but able in their minds, called on Governor Bala Mohamned to appoint somebody that can serve as his personal assistant or special adviser on Physically challenged people so as to bridge the existing gap between them and his government.
“There is no single person with disability that you have given him an opportunity to serve in your administration. This is contrary to our expectations that your administration is an all- inclusive one. We felt now that we have been isolated,” he said.
Buhari, who pleaded with the Governor to revive the state agency for people living with disability that will cater for their needs, added that “amongst us, we the people with disability, are confident, capable and well deserved people who are educated that with little assistance they will be self-reliant”.
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According to him, if physically challenged persons are empowered by the government, none of them will go to the streets to beg.
“In some states, even the children of physically challenged people are given free education from elementary to tertiary education. But what we are requesting here in Bauchi is for us to be assisted to become self reliant,” the Secretary pointed out.
He appealed to Governor Bala to create empowerment programmes for his members across the state, give automatic employment to the educated ones as well as scholarships for those who intend to go to school.
