…As Gombe Senator Gifts Vehicle To JONAPWD
Penultimate Saturday 3rd December 2022, the world celebrated the 2022 International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDD), a day set aside by the United Nations specifically to raise global awareness on the plights of PWDs and reflect on the conditions of PWDs every year.
In this year’s occasion, members of the wider society were called upon to change their stance towards PWDs.
This clarion calls were made by a young Deaf right advocate, comrade Yusuf Yahaya Kumo while speaking at an event organized by senator Saidu Ahmed Alkali, a senator representing Gombe North senatorial District, Gombe State.
Comrade Kumo lamented the negative attitude accorded to PWDs by members of the society. He said inspite of the conditions of PWDs, they were endowed by nature with different kinds of talents. He, however added that, PWDs are being excluded from participating in decisions that affect their lives”
Kumo also noted that “It is not impairment that denied us our human and civil rights, but the experience of prejudice, discrimination and disabling barriers”
“Conversely, in our community nowadays, PWDs find themselves fighting a society which celebrate differences, a society which does not react to physical, sensory or intellectual impairments, or emotional distress with fear and prejudice“
” we want a society that recognize the difficulties we are made to face inadvertently, and which also values us for what we are” he added
Kumo’s remarks were collaborated by other heads of clusters Including the chairmen of Blind, Deaf, Lepers and physically challenged who in their separate speeches expressed concern on the gross injustice PWDs are being subjected to in the society.
Responding to the issues raised, Senator Alkali who was ably represented by the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor on Disability Affairs, Hon. Yakubu Ahmed, congratulated PWDs community all over the world on the occasion of the International Disability Day, he stressed that the PWDs were very lucky to have a disability friendly Governor in the state, noting that Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya was the only Governor in the history of Gombe state that has the interest of PWDs at heart. Stressing further that the Governor had done many things for PWDs in the state.
According to him, the Governor was the first to celebrate Disability Day with PWDs in the state, he was the first to appoint a PWD as SSA, he recruited 15 PWDs in the state civil service, supported the education of Blind students from primary to higher institution and many other PWDs would soon be assimilated in the Governor Yahaya’s inclusive administration.
The Governor’s aide, INN learnt, also used the occasion to unveil a brand new vehicle donated by senator Alkali to PWDs in the state. The vehicle was instantly handed over to the chairman of JONAPWD comrade Ishyaku Adamu as part of sen. Alkali’s humanitarian support to PWDs in Gombe state.