Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State said his administration would introduce a special skills acquisition programme for the People Living With Disabilities (PWDs) in the state.
Aliyu indicated this during the 2024 International Day of Persons with Disabilities held in Sokoto.
According to him, the special skills acquisition programme is part of the measures aimed at making the physically challenged persons gainfully employed and reducing street begging among them.
He also assured the physically challenged persons in the state that the AbdulRasheed Adisa Raji Special School in Sokoto would receive the desired attention to continue to provide sound and quality education to the physically challenged pupils in the state.
“Let me also assure you that the government would sponsor your children to study in any tertiary institution of their choice to enable them to acquire higher certificates.
“This administration is committed to ensuring your welfare and that of your children, therefore, feel free to reach out to me any time you so wish,” Aliyu reassured.
He added that a special provision has been made for the physically challenged persons in the 2025 budget and appealed to them to continue to support the present administration in its quest to transform the state.
He said the present administration had restored and reviewed upwards the monthly allowances given to the physically challenged persons from N6,500 to N10,000 in an attempt to create jobs and reduce street begging in the state.
He added that the state government has also provided several palliatives to the physically challenged persons and established special Ramadan feeding centers for them across the 23 local government areas of the state.
The Governor said presently, there are 6,679 registered physically challenged persons benefiting from the monthly allowance.
“We intend to increase the number of beneficiaries to 10,000 so that more of the PWDs could benefit,” he said.
Governor Aliyu also said the state government has redeemed its pledge of 500 handcycles to the physically challenged persons, adding that, an additional 500 would also be procured for distribution to them across the state.
In a statement by Governor Aliyu’s Press Secretary, Abubakar Bawa, he reassured that his administration would continue to come up with programmes aimed at making the lives of the PWDs better.
The governor announced a donation of N10,000 each to the 6,679 physically challenged persons from the APC leader in the state, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko.
Also speaking, the overseer of Sokoto State Agency for the Physically Challenged Persons, Amina Kaoje, commended Governor Aliyu for giving the agency and the PWDs the needed attention.
She appealed to the governor to look into the possibility of providing the agency with a bigger office accommodation and vehicles for its routine activities.
During the occasion, some of the physically challenged persons benefited from handcycles.
Some of the physically challenged who spoke praised the Governor for redeeming many of his pledges to them and prayed to Almighty Allah to bless him and give him the wisdom and sound health to continue with the good work he has started in the state.
The highlight of the celebration was a football match between two para-soccer teams in the state.
The winners of the match went home with a trophy and N1 million, while the losers also got a trophy and N500,000 from Governor Ahmed Aliyu.
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