The Chairman of the Zamfara State Board of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), Alhaji Usman Ahmad Nahudu, has commended Governor Dauda Lawal for what he described as an unprecedented inclusion of PWDs in government activities and decision-making processes.
Speaking through an interpreter, Nahudu said PWDs now enjoy meaningful representation in government, a development he described as historic in Zamfara. He said the community had never been fully recognised as humans nor granted appointments or legal backing for a PWD board until the emergence of the present administration.
He said Governor Lawal’s administration recognised the talents and capabilities of PWDs and believes their inclusion would contribute significantly to societal development and deepen democracy in the state.
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Nahudu, who was visibly emotional, said it was the first time PWDs in Zamfara were witnessing the presence of high-ranking government officials at their gathering, including the governor’s wife. He added that the administration had changed public perception by dispelling the belief that PWDs were liabilities.
“Whenever PWDs were seen, people looked at them as beggars. We are not beggars; we are humans. Your recognition that we have the capability to contribute to the economy, leadership and democratic participation has changed our lives. Capability is in the brain, not in body structure. Among us are doctors, engineers and lecturers,” he said.
Also speaking, the state leader of persons living with physical disability (Sarkin Guragu of Zamfara), Malam Shehu Umar, said PWDs in the state had resolved to support Governor Lawal for a second term, noting that individuals are free to associate and vote according to their interests.
At the event, the First Lady, Hajiya Hurriya Dauda Lawal, empowered 250 PWDs with N200,000 each under the RHI Social Investment Programme.
She said the initiative was designed exclusively to support persons with disabilities.
A member of the State PWD Board, Malama Binta Namadi, applauded the gesture and urged beneficiaries to use the funds wisely.
“Don’t share your grants with anyone. You were captured directly from the First Lady’s office. Please invest in a business that will support your livelihood,” she said.
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