Senator Kola Balogun has called on governments across all levels to render assistance to persons with disability in order for them to be able to contribute their quotas to the growth of the country.
He said this, on Friday while declaring close a three-day training and financial empowerment programme for some physically-challenged people in Oyo South Senatorial District.
The empowerment programme, held at Alice Place,Total Garden, Ibadan, was put together by a consulting firm, Osfem Ventures Limited.
The training was facilitated by Senator Balogun, through the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre, under the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports Development.
Senator Balogun said persons with disability have their own unique and peculiar talents which, if discovered and well developed, can further contribute to the development of the country.
“In our clime, the government don’t often remember people with disability. But they have God-given talents which they must identify and maximally use, both for themselves and the society.
“There was a time when a sitting president of the United States was ruling from a wheelchair. Here in Ibadan, we have the likes of Yinka Ayefele who, having some physical challenges, is an exemplar and an employer of labour.
“We also have Barrister Ayodele Adekanmbi who is a bundle of talents and who has been deploring in peculiar gifts into making life better for persons with disability.
“When God decides, in His infinite mercies, to create some people with disability, He deposits in them some peculiar potentials with which they can better their lives and the society.
“Every society that desires to make progress and development must remember your sector. Yours a critical sector that can make meaningful contributions to the growth of the society,” Balogun said.
He urged the beneficiaries of the training and empowerment programme to take a full advantage of the programme to improve on their socio-economic status.
Also speaking, Mr Ayodele Adekanmbi, the Executive Assistant (On People With Disability) to Governor Seyi Makinde, said the training was the first of its kind in the South-West.
Urging the beneficiaries to utilised the opportunity, he assured that there would be more of such trainings next year and declared, “We will monitor, deliver and sustain.”
30 people, who were the first batch of the programme, were trained in cake baking, pastries and confectioneries and they were empowered with baking equipments, including 30 baking ovens and the sum of N100,000 each to start their own businesses.
The second batch of beneficiaries, who came in on Friday, were given 50 blind guiding canes, 30 crutches, 15 wheelchairs and 50 hearing aids.
