The President of the Katsina Blind Intellectual Club (KBIC), Nasir Dauda, has called on state governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, to give priorities to the plights of persons with Disabilities.
Dauda made the call in an open letter to Katsina State governor on Tuesday, received by Inclusive News Network.
The letter reads in part; “The Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in Katsina state are still in the streets, begging because of lack of care from the government and the society as a whole. Our people are abandoned to their fate. Nobody cares about our suffering, including massive deprivation of educational and job opportunities. We feel excluded and discriminated against.
“The successive governments have paid lip service to our plight. Most of the interventions could be best described as tokenism that only scratch the surface of our predicament.
“Now with your coming and how you start on good footing,I feel confident to draw your attention to our ordeal.
“It becomes necessary to start with the employment palaver. Because lack of it is responsible for our people to beg for food to keep body and soul together. If You can recall the discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (prohibition) Act 2018 outlaws any form of discrimination against Pwds.
“Section 29 of the Act provides that public organisations shall allocate at least 5 percent of job vacancies to persons with Disabilities. However, lack of enforcement is the reason why government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) violate the act with impunity.
“My prayer is that since you are a just leader, you will stop the impunity.
“Finally sir, for inclusion, justice and fairness, we hope the Pwds will be fully represented in your cabinet.”