persons with disabilities in Ondo State on Thursday turned an event marking the “2014 International Day For Persons With Disabilities” into a demonstration highlighting the government’s neglect of their well-being.
Governor Olusegun Mimiko
Photo Credit:Sahara Reporters Media
The disabled persons, who had traveled down from the 18 local government council areas of the state and converged in Akure, the state capital, for the celebration, accused Governor Olusegun Mimiko and the state government of abandoning them.
They noted that the yearly celebration has been a “season of suffering” for disabled persons in the state.
A SaharaReporters correspondent noticed that trouble started when an announcement was made by the organizers (Agency For the Welfare of Persons with Disabilities) that Governor Olusegun Mimiko was consciously absent and would be represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Kola Ademujimi.
The announcement, our correspondent reports, angered the disabled persons, many of whom said “Mr. Governor is in Abuja to attend to some political meetings but can assure he is here in
A programme of event given to SaharaReporters at the commencement of the celebration featured the governor, his wife, the deputy governor and his wife, house of assembly members, and other top government officials. All were deliberately absent without explanation.
Attendees disclosed to SaharaReporters that they had lost some their colleagues as a result of government abandonment and insensitivity to their plight. They also added that the Mimiko administration refused to provide them with fitting jobs.
“Some of us were encouraged to learn any profitable handiwork, but since we finished learning the jobs and graduated from the workshop government has refused to provide us with equipment, machines, and funds. All you see them doing is empty promises and jamborees,” stated Ifeoluwa Adepoju from Akoko North.
“I can’t count the number of deaths that have been recorded this year alone not to talk of the ones we have recorded since the assumption of this present administration. Many of us who are graduates have been roaming the streets begging for alms, and the government of Governor Olusegun Mimiko has failed to recognized us,” said Funmi Ijabiyi from Ilaje.
“In one of our protests some months ago, some government officials were quoted saying that they will poison many of us because we are of no benefit to the society. This is the same set of officials you will see begging for our votes during elections,” said Ayebusi Abiola of Akure.
According to them, some of their colleagues who engage in sporting activities and won good laurels for the state were not properly rewarded and cheated because they were disabled.
While comparing the past governments in the state with the present administration of Mimiko, the disabled persons maintained that things have worsened because of the incumbent government.
“The administration of late Governor Adefarati and Agagu were not like this. They took good care of us and provided us with jobs while many of our graduates were employed and given equal opportunity in the society. Since the assumption of Governor Mimiko in 2009 things have worsened with the retrenchment of our colleagues," a disabled attendee said.
Attending persons also berated the state government for its constant declarations on both television and radio programs that persons with disabilities were being well taken care of.
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