NAN-H-159
Challenge
By Cecilia Ijuo
Abuja, Feb. 22, 2017 (NAN) Sen. Shehu Sani, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, on Wednesday, said physically challenged persons formed an integral part of the society and have rights like every Nigerian.
Sani made the remark in Abuja at a news conference, adding that the physically challenged did not constitute nuisance to Nigerians.
The lawmaker had on Tuesday, hosted a delegation of physically challenged persons from his Kaduna Central Senatorial District.
They include the leaders of lepers, deaf and dumb, the blind and cripples.
Sani said that rather than being discriminated against, government at all levels should evolve measures to meet their needs as special persons in the society.
He added that “it will be difficult to end begging in Nigeria if measures are not put in place to uplift the socio-economic standard of challenged persons.
“Begging and loitering is an economic problem. You can’t legislate people out of poverty.
“There is the need to set economic roadmap for these people to fend for themselves.”
Sani said that though some philanthropists had been assisting the people but it was not enough, adding that “we need to have an entrenched social system that would take care of this category of people.” (NAN)
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