Plateau to coordinate projects for people with disabilities in Nigeria, Cameroon, others
NAN-H-108
Disability
Jos, Jan. 12, 2017(NAN) The Plateau State Government is to coordinate and implement projects for people living with disabilities in Nigeria, Camroon, Niger and Chad, and official has disclosed.
Mr Bitrus Hosea, the Acting Chairman, Plateau State Disability Commission, who stated this on Thursday in Jos, said that the projects were bestowed by the Equal Rights for persons with Disability scheme based in USA.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that Hosea made the disclosure at a ceremony to mark this year’s International Day for People Living with Disabilities(PWD).
The official said that the impressive outing of the Plateau delegation at the UN conference in June 2016, earned the State the status.
“The Impressive outing of Plateau State Delegation at the UN conference last year earned Plateau the privilege of being the Nigerian-Based lead collaborator that will be coordinate and implement the entire Disability projects.
“ We are awaiting their directives on the roles and modus operandi for discharging the duties,” he said.
Hosea said that celebrating the day would also challenged governments to work out measures to prevent disabilities through quick attention to epidemics, viruses, natural disasters and other situations that lead to disabilities.
In his remarks, Plateau Governor, Simon Lalong, said that the Plateau Small and Medium Development Agency had rolled out her economic and vocation support programmes and enjoined the PWDs to form cooperative groups so as to benefit.
The Governor, who was represented by Dr. Hitler Dadi, the Commissioner for Special Duties, said that his administration would ensure that PWDs were recognised in their competences to ensure they participated in the political processes.
Also speaking, Mrs. Alice Dimlong, Chairman, Plateau House of Assembly Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, said that the State legislature had increased budgetary allocation of the Disability Commission, but regretted that it was not implemented because of dwindling resources.
“ But we are confident that we shall implement it this year because we believe things would be better,’’ she said.
She said that in the efforts to integrate and include PWDs in their proceeding, an interpreter was recently employed by the House to enable the hearing-impaired follow proceedings.
Highlights of the events included the presentation of an award, `The 2016 Game Changer and Disability Inclusive Development best Nigerian State Governor of the year award,’ to Gov. Lalong.
The Governor also donated N200,000 each, to the various disability groups that included the blind, lepers, physically challenged and hearing-impaired. (NAN)
MAA/EAL/ETS
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Edited by Ekemini Ladejobi and Ephraims Sheyin