Nigeria’s Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu has flagged off the construction of 40 units of modern toilets for Alheri Leprosy Colony in Yangoji Kwali Area Council, of the federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The flag-off was in fulfillments of the Promise made to the community in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Speaking at the event, the Minister said President Tinubu has a special interest in making persons living with disabilities and was committed to ensuring that they play critical roles in society.
Edu who was represented by her Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Rasheed Olanrewaju described the President as a man ready to sacrifice all for the well-being of the disabilities community, stating that the President does not in any way see them as persons with disabilities but “persons with special abilities”.
She stressed that the days of total neglect of the disabled community in Nigeria were gone for good.The Minister reiterated President Tinubu’s resolve to make persons with disabilities part of society.
Dr. Edu assured the PWD community that the Ministry has approved 10 percent of all social interventions programmes for persons with disabilities as beneficiaries, saying with this, it was obvious the PLWDs are part of the society and should not suffer discrimination of any kind.
“Your positive journey has just begun today, you are bonafide citizens of the country, do not allow anyone to dampen your spirit, be assured that you are part of us, and you won’t be discriminated against, the president is concerned about you, I’m passionate about your well-being”, Minister said.
According to Dr Edu, she was eager to see the project completed and commissioned in a record time.
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Dr. James David Lalu assured that the project would be completed in two months and asked the contractor to put all machinery in place to ensure the project was completed in time.
He thanked President Tinubu for fulfilling the promise he made to Alheri Leprosy Colony during the electioneering campaign, saying the Alheri community and persons with disabilities contributed to his emergence.
The Executive Secretary said with the help of Dr . Edu as Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, he was sure that the Alheri Leprosy Colony and other people with special needs would no longer be neglected, describing the Minister as one who shows much regard to those with disabilities and ready to resuscitate all the rehabilitation centers in Nigeria.
He also thanked the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, His Excellency Nyosom Ezenwo Wike for providing a conducive environment for the Alheri community and emphasized that the project would be replicated in all the Leprosy Centres across the country.
Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the president on Disabilities, Alhaji Muhammed Abah Isah described the occasion as remarkable and said the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu was paying needed attention to persons with disabilities.
Isah emphasized that President Tinubu has no agenda of leaving people with special needs behind and frowned at the stigmatization of the disabled community by some members of the society.
He appealed to Nigerians to always see PLWDs as those who need care and regard them as assets and not liabilities to the country.
On his part, the representative of the FCT Minister, Ibrahim Aminu Masari, said Yangoji remains part of FCT and must not be abandoned.
Masari, who is the Mandate Secretary of Social Development, said FCT under Nyesom Wike would not fail to include the community in the developmental agenda and applauded Dr Betta Edu for such laudable projects.
He advised the community to see the project as their own and to ensure adequate protection from vandals.
Other speakers at the event include the Director Social Welfar FCT, Dr Sani Umar, Head of Alheri community Alhaji Dikko Dogo among others who commended President Tinubu and the Minister for fulfilling the Promise made, through the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities.
