He opined that the physical challenged persons should not hong on begging at motor parks or the streets.
Rev. Jude made the assertion during the assemblage of physically challenged persons in Nsukka organised by the World Liberation Assembly (aka House of Liberty), explaining that the society should as a matter of necessity see and treat the disabled persons as equal human beings who could be offered good jobs irrespective of their disability, acquire skills in hair dressing, shoe making, soap and beads – making among others to eke out a means of livelihood than begging for alms at motor parks and streets of the country.
He disclosed that over 400 physical challlenged persons in Nsukka registered with the centre for disabled persons committee (CDPC), Nsukka, adding that the number would be higher if all the physically challenged persons in Enugu north senatorial zone registers with the centre.
“I feel bad when I see physical challenged persons begging at motor parks and streets. Disability is of the mind as they can blaze the trail and fix up in a menial business that would not require huge capital,” he said.
He noted that the aim of gathering together the physical challenged was to interact with them to know which skill some of them could be engaged in to drive a means of livelihood than begging, adding that the World Liberation Assembly has concluded plans to set up skill acquisition centres where the physically challenged would learn skills to improve their living conditions.
“We marched on clutches, impaired ones limped, some crawled to have a hand shake with the governor who in turn promised to look into their situations soon,” he explained, and urged the general public to stop seeing disabled persons as helpless beggars and that they should stop giving them N5, N10 and N20 at motor parks.
He said there is work of charity which could be by empowerment or donating to orphange homes. “Some of the physical challenged persons in Nsukka alone are graduates, yet unemployed even when such a person has the prerequisite qualification for a job,” he said.
The amputee pastor also said that World Liberation Assembly in conjunction wth the Centre for Disabled Persons Committee (CDPC) Nsukka would need at least N20m to set up skill acquisition centre for the physical challenged persons in Nsukka.
He said that lack of funds to start a trade often times compel some of the physically challenged to go into begging in order to eat and stay alive. He explained that the Federal Government has never in any project in the country made the physical challenged persons to feel part of the nation.
Vanguard
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