By Grace Egila
Chairman, Kano State Initiative for Persons With Special Needs ( KIPWSN), Abdulrazaq Ado Zango has urged Kano state Government to put Person’s with Disabilities (PWDs), into consideration over the stoppage of salary to meet up with their daily needs.
Zango in an interview with newsmen on Wednesday in Kano noted that the decision made on Monday by the State Governor, Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf, mandating the state’s Accountant-General to halt the salaries of 10,800 workers employed by his predecessor, Ganduje, is worrisome as it impact on PWDs is enormous.
According to the chairman, the law provides allocation of two percent of all employment opportunities to PWDs — including physically challenged persons, visually impaired persons, impaired hearing, speech impairment, spinal cord injury patients, down syndrome patients and lepers.
” The governor’s directive for an investigation to establish the authenticity of the workers’ engagement and procedures to remove those illegally recruited.
“Making the affected workers to continue working in their various posts with no pay until the investigation is concluded is huge burden especially on our members and many may not be able to survive the hardship.
” We spend more daily even on transportation, thus, halting salaries would affect us more than our able-bodied colleagues; hence, the need for PWDs to be considered, particularly in this period of economic and social insecurities, he narrated.
Meanwhile, the chairman also stressed the need for the State Government to fast track the establishment of the Commission for Persons with Disabilities, in order for the agency to oversee the affairs of it members.
Zango disclosed that the desire of every PWDs is to be fully employed as it gives them a sense of belonging in the society.
And also the ability to showcase their talents and skills.
However, with this absence of salary, a lot of our members may end up returning back to street begging.
He also called on the State Government to imbibe inclusivity in it administration so that PWDs can also contribute their own quarter to the dividence of democracy in the state.
