No fewer than 3,200 People With Disabilities (PWD) in Yobe will benefit from the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal Government established the NSIP in 2016, to tackle poverty and hunger across the country.
The suite of programmes under the NSIP focuses on ensuring a more equitable distribution of resources to vulnerable populations, including children, youth and women.
Since 2016, these programmes combined have supported more than four million beneficiaries country-wide through a fair and transparent process supported by the Ministry of Budget and National Planning (MBNP) and other notable MDAs with aligned goals.
Mr Mohammad Isa, Leader of the state PLWD, made this known an interview with NAN in Damaturu on Monday.
Already, he said, bank details and bio data of the 3,200 PWD were collected during an exercise initiated by the National Commission for Persons With Disabilities.
Isa, who is also the Chief Data Collector for the exercise, said PWD were captured across the 17 local government areas of the state.
”The data base will also provide a platform to the state, the Federal Governments and other donor agencies for planning purposes for future interventions,” he said.
Isa urged Gov. Mai Mala-Buni to assent to the bill for the establishment of the state commission for PWD.
“ I am appealing to the governor to hasten the signing of the bill into law to pave way for domestication of the National Disability Act 2018, which seeks to protect the rights and privileges of PWD.
“ These privileges include education, healthcare, priority in accommodation and emergencies as well as ensuring that public organizations reserve at least five per cent of employment for PWD,” the leader said.
Isa, the pioneer Chairman, Joint National Association for Persons With Disabilities in the state, also appealed to the state government to rehabilitate the Special School in Damagum, Fune Local Government Area.
“ The school which is at its temporary site in Damagum, is in dire need of rehabilitation.
“ You will recall that the permanent site in Goniri was destroyed by insurgents, forcing the school to relocate to Damagum.
“ Some of the challenges at the temporary site include lack of instructional materials, inadequate trained teachers, absence of staff quarters and low enrolment,” he said.
NAN