By; Mohammed Kawu, Bauchi.
The Nigerian Society for the Blind has called for the physical attendance of all the nineteen Northern State Governors to its Northern Summit on Streets Begging slated for Arewa House, Kaduna June this year.
The National President of the association, Isyaku Adamu Gombe said the summit would not accept representation from any of the nineteen Northern StateGovernors whom, he said, are the custodians of the region.
Mallam Isyaku Gombe, who was responding on behalf of awardees at award presentation ceremony by Correspondents’ Chapel of the NUJ, Bauchi weekend, said the association is poised to eradicate street begging among persons with disability in Northern part of the country.
“We invite you to support the future of persons with disability in Northern Nigeria by attending our conference in June at Arewa House, Kaduna to eradicate street begging among persons with disability”, Gombe said.
Gombe was speaking on behalf of an award recipient, Abubakar Abdullahi who lost his sight while undergoing a degree course in history at Bayero University, Kano, and initiator of skills training centre tagged ‘Visually Impaired Palace’ in Bauchi where he impacted knowledge to over 150 unemployed youth and women.
“We want the Speaker of the House of Representatives to be at the summit in person to support the future of persons with disability, we want all state Governors in Northern Nigeria to be there not representatives”, he said.
Blind Isyaku Gombe also emphasized the need for all traditional rulers, community and religious leaders and leaders of thought to unfailingly be at the summit to support the future of persons with disability.
Gombe, who explained that begging is not a profession for the disabled but it was rather pushed upon them by the society over the years, stressing that empowering persons with disability will nip in the bud street begging.
“Kindly give us the opportunity in the political space, give us the opportunity in education, give us opportunity in all aspects of life and we are going to perform wonderfully”, Gombe told the crowded occasion held at Zaranda Hotel, Bauchi.
“We are not begging for arms, we are not begging for pity, we are not begging for over protection, what we are begging for is opportunity in all aspects of life and we are going to do it, opportunity is what we are bothered pleading”, he added.
