Subsidy palliative: Despite law, our members are discriminated against — Jigawa PWDs Chairman

Jigawa State chairman of the Persons Living With Disability (PWDs), Comrade Adamu Shuaibu, has expressed displeasure over alleged discrimination of his members by the government against the provision of the state’s persons with disabilities law (2016).

The chairman made the disclosure while speaking to newsmen in Dutse, the state capital, saying his members are being marginalised in the state’s scheme of things despite the existing law that addressed some of their challenges including accessibility to buildings and economic empowerment. 

Comrade Adamu Shuaibu explained that “Persons Leaving with Disability (PWDs) like any other Nigerians, are suffering from the brunt of fuel subsidy removal of the federal government, however, its members were skipped in the ongoing distribution of palliatives across the 27 local government areas here in JIgawa state and they are neither beneficiary”

According to him, “Despite the provision of the law, PWDs are still discriminated against and marginalized in the state and therefore we are seeking the full implementation of the law.

“We are supposed to be included in all the committees constituted by the government to handle the distribution of the palliatives”.

He stated further that “There are low employment opportunities for PWDs. We thereby seek for the employment of our members in both governments and private organizations in the state as enshrined in the law”.

“We also seek for the launching of the PWD Fund as stated in the law to support PWDs in the state,” Mr Shuaibu said. 

Comrade Shuaibu emphasized that “Section 4 of the disabilities law stimulated that the state and local government councils shall consider persons with disabilities in their programmes and services, especially social protection programmes, Mr Shuaibu quoted the law. 

Mr Shuaibu claimed that its members which comprise the blind, deaf, lepers, crippled and the Albinos constituted over 25 percent of the total population of the state.

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