Minister of State for Works and Housing, Engr Abubakar D. Aliyu, has distributed wheelchairs, talking wristwatches and smart walking canes to people living with disabilities in Yobe as part of his continuous efforts of improving the lives of the vulnerable members of the society.
The materials were distributed to the beneficiaries at the Multipurpose Hall of Potiskum Local Government Council on Friday in an event attended by senior government officials that included Yobe State Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Sale Samanja, and religious and traditional leaders.
The wheelchairs were locally fabricated at a workshop run by a physically challenged person in Potiskum as parts of the minister’s deliberate efforts to encourage him.
The talking watches enable the users to hear the time announced with the press of a button in three local languages, while the smart cane helps them know when there are tripping hazards such as cracks, poles and so on.
The minister also distributed sugar to the vulnerable members of the society to mitigate their hardship in the holy month of Ramadan.
Engr. Aliyu said “this is parts of our modest effort of putting smiles on the faces of the neglected members of the society.
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“We identified them from remote areas, with most of them crawling under the scorching sun, and equipped them so as to improve their living condition,” the minister said.
The minister, who is the founder of Yazara Orphanage Care Foundation, a non-profit organisation that picks orphans from the streets, shelter them, give them western and Islamic education and teach them vocational skills, urged well-to-do individuals to come to the aid of the people with disabilities.
“The essence of these efforts is to ease the way these people are living, and also empower them to live a meaningful life.
“By this, they can be able to be self-reliant by engaging in some productive economic activities,” he said.
It is in that regards that the minister patronized the workshop of a physically challenged person (crippled) in Potiskum to fabricate these wheelchairs in batches.
“I bought the materials and paid him to fabricate these wheelchairs.
“Thereby boost his morale and encouraged him,” adding that he was already exploring modalities of teaching the beneficiaries certain skills for them to be self-reliant.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Malam Iro thanked the minister for always coming to their aid.
“Our prayer always is for Allah to bless the minister for his constant efforts in making our lives better,” he said.