President of the Civil Rights Congress of Nigeria, Senator Shehu Sani has called on President Bola Tinubu and governors across the country to appoint special advisers on disabilities.
Sani, who represented Kaduna Central in the Senate between 2015 and 2019, said that people living with disabilities should be considered for political appointments in all tiers of government.
Sani made the call when he visited the Abuja School for the Deaf recently.
According to him, it is important for government to place special needs persons in positions of authority. They are an integral part of the society.
He said appointing them into such positions would give a voice to their plight while protecting their rights.
“I call on President Tinubu and governors of the 36 states to appoint special advisers on disabilities and it should be from among them. This is because there is a need to give special attention to our young people with special needs.
“When I was in the Senate, I was one of those who championed the establishment the Commission for People with Disabilities.
“I was also always sent by the President of the Senate then to attend to protests led by people living with disabilities. I have not relented in that effort as I will continue to monitor activities of government and stand the gap for them,” he said.
Sani, who is also a human rights activist, said for Nigeria to move forward, persons living with disabilities should be given special attention.
“In other countries you will discover that all segments of society have places reserved for people living with disabilities. Places are reserved in parks, markets, cinemas for instance, for people living with disabilities.
“Unfortunately Nigeria has fallen short of this including inadequate funding for this set of people, making them to take to begging, he
He said it was unfortunate that disability was considered as a curse in the society. No human being is created perfectly because as humans we have one form of disability or the other.
“If you are not physically challenged, you could have hypertension, diabetes, ulcer or other forms of ailment. So, we are all disabled.”
Sani thanked the school management for maintaining a high standard, adding that it was one of the best public schools in Nigeria.
“You occupy a special place in our country. This is because you have to operate in a very special environment using very special strategies to impact knowledge in children with special needs.
“I am very impressed to see a government owned school run like a private school with discipline and neatness,” he said, promising to support government by attending to some needs of the students.
The school’s Assistant Head Teacher in charge of administration, Mr Bamidele Olaitan thanked the lawmaker for the visit. He also thanked government for the support given to staff and students of the school.
On challenges facing the school, the assistant head teacher said they were in need of infrastructure.
Vice Principal in charge of academic, Aguda Ezra said Sani was the only lawmaker, serving or former, that had visited the school since its inception in 1991.
He said the school would remain grateful to him for not just visiting but promising to contribute his quota to the success of the school.
