We are not part of the recently planned protest followed by a press conference aimed at pressuring Kano state government to create commission with disabilities, the Joint Clusters of Kano State Persons with Disabilities under the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities Kano State Chapter said.
The association also distances Itself from Recent Protest saying the development was planned and executed some members with some political interest.
According to them, base on our knowledged and what we obtained, there is pending legal case regarding the leadership.
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We categorically distance ourselves from that press conference and the alleged sponsored protest organized by those individuals who claimed to represent persons living with Disabilities.
In a statement sent to GLOBAL TRACKER by Clusters head including Musa Muhammed Shaga, JONAPWD Chairman, Kano Chapter, Abdulrahman Uba Daushe, Chairman, SPinal Cord Injury Association, Kano, Musa Muhammed Kura, Chairman, National Association for the Blind, Yahaya A. Yahaya, Chairman National Association for Physically Challenge, Kano, Da’u Sa’idu, IDEA Chairman Kano State and Hajiya Mariya, Albino Association, Kano the leaders said “We were not aware of the protest neither are we part of it.”
Instead of staging protest, we chose to utilize the open channel of communication the Abba Kabir administration has provided to us where our complaints and concerns are directly and swiftly addressed by the government.
While these individuals have made voices in the name of persons with disabilities, we vehemently rejected that approach and their involvement with our name.
The Joint Clusters and the leadership of JONAPWD would like to highlight the significant strides made in improving the lives of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) under the leadership of His Excellency, Abba Kabir Yusuf.
We base our arguments on the following key Achievements:
Institutionalization of PWDs Affairs: All the Persons with Disabilities Associations were brought under the Ministry of Women Affairs, Children, and Disabled. This significant step has provided a direct channel of communication between Kano State Government and PWDs.
Direct Government Support: In its 100 days in office, the Kano State Government has provided substantial support to the persons with disabilities that is on record of 100 Days achievements.
Also the government provided:
Assistive devices and support for medical consumables to the groups, particularly persons with spinal cord injury and those affected by leprosy.
Palliatives of 100 bags of 10kg rice and 100 bags of 10kg maize, distributed to each Local Government Area (LGA) with N50,000 transportation fee to the various LGAs.
Another 200 bags of 25kg rice palliatives
Direct cash transfers of N20,000 to 2,000 PWDs members across Kano State.
Support for Special Day Events: The government has generously supported the World Disability Day 2024 as well as the International Day for Spinal Cord Injury 2023 and 2024 respectively, allocating significant funds for various activities and initiatives.
Additionally, the government sponsored Kano representatives from 44 LGAs to Bauchi for the World Stick Day for visually impaired individuals.
Empowerment and Inclusion: The government has distributed 100s tricycles, diapers and wheelchairs in other several occasions to PWDs and has fully implemented free education for the PWDs and their siblings.
While we support the idea of having disability commission, we proclaim that Kano state is most disables friendly state in Nigeria and in the right track to implementing policies for development of PWDs members in Kano. We also commend the efforts of the Kano State Government under the leadership of H.E Engr Abba Kabir Yusuf for empowering and including PWDs in the state’s development agenda. We have never been denied His Excellency’s approval anytime we submitted PWDs proposal. We therefore urge all members of Joint Clusters of Kano PWDs, JONAPWD and the general public to distance themselves from all form of protest in the name of fighting for the rights of persons with disabilities in Kano State as that’s not our line of approach and we recognize the positive impact of the government’s initiatives for persons with disabilities.
We pray for a peaceful Kano State and Nigeria in general.