The Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has on Wednesday called for increased love, care and inclusivity for people living with disabilities in the State, saying they also deserve every support to excel and be fulfilled in life.
The Governor spoke in Ilorin at a mega rally to commemorate the International Day of People Living with Disabilities (PLWDs).The rally was put together by the renowned comedian and Chief Executive Officer of the Olatunji Atanda Films Production, Yahya Habeeb Olatunji popularly known as Baba Kamo.
Tagged: “Walk Against Stigmatization of People Living With Disabilities”, the rally took off at the Kwara State Stadium Complex and ended in front of the Government House, according to a statement issued by the Ministry’s Press Secretary, Salman Rabiat, on Thursday.
Participants, such as PLWDs and students under the umbrella of the National Association of Kwara State Students (NAKSS), could not hide their joy as they were dancing with placards in their hands. Among the inscriptions displayed were “Disability Does Not Mean Inability“, “Break the Stigma, Not the Spirit”, “Inclusion is the Key to Unlocking Human Potential”, and “Empowerment Begins with Acceptance.”
“As you all know, our administration does not discriminate in what we do. We treat the PLWDs well like their abled counterparts. And they are part of our government. I encourage the public to continue to show them love and care as we live together,” the Governor said through the Commissioner for Youths Development Hon. Shehu Usman Ndanusa who represented him.
“PLWDs are sound, intelligent and special to us. They contribute well to this administration. So I want everybody to embrace and appreciate these people. When you find them around you, appreciate them rather than discriminate.”
Also at the event were the Commissioner for Environment Hon. Nafisat Buge; and Executive Chairman Kwara State Sports Commission, Coach Bola Magaji.
Buge, on her part, said that the PLWDs are special to the administration of Governor AbdulRazaq, hence, their active involvement in the policies and programmes of the government.
“There is no difference between you and I except our physical representation. You are all looking good. Don’t ever be intimidated by anybody. Don’t let anybody look or talk down on you. You are who and what you are, because you have the ability to excel. There is nothing stopping you from becoming what I am today,” She said.
Magaji said there are a number of PLWDs who are doing better in sporting activities than the abled ones, citing how one of them won the first medal in the last Olympic games.
“I want to advise parents that if you know people like this, give them special treatment and provide them with care because they are of special needs, they are not disabled. If a parent is blessed with these kinds of children, they should not discriminate against them”, Magaji said.
“If you keep them at home, you are going to retard them more than expected. We have some of them here that could not even talk before but now they talk and relate with people. We have some of them that look like imbeciles but when they come here, they start growing and they are doing better.
The Convener, Yahya Habeeb Olatunji (Baba Kamo), said he organized the programme to change the wrong perception about PLWDs and to tell people to accept and treat them well.
He said, as an advocate of a better life for PLWDs, he is set to launch a movie, titled; “Moyomi”, that he said focuses on some of the challenges facing PLWDs in the society, and to convey a message to the world that they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.
“We are doing this walk to stop the stigma against people living with disabilities and also we want to re-orientate our society and change people’s perception about them. We want people to know that most of these disabilities are not contagious. We want society to start seeing the abilities in them, not disabilities”, he said.
“We want our society to focus on what they can do, not on what they cannot do. We want to encourage the whole world that people living with special disabilities need to be treated well. They also have dreams, they also have visions and purposes the same way we do”, he said.
Abdulkadir Bilikis Abolore, a physically impaired participant, expressed joy with the sensitization campaign and appreciated the organizer for creating a sense of inclusion for them.
“People need to stop looking down on us. We need love, inclusion and the opportunities to make our voices heard. I also urge parents to stop hiding their children because they are disabled. These children can become important in their life. They have the right to education and a good life. Let them bring them out and show them love.”
