Mr Peter Obi has stressed importance of society to show love and support to physically challenged persons, while calling on the government to run an all-inclusive governance and make policies that will help the physically challenged to live well, actualise their potentials and fulfil their life dreams.
The Vice Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 elections in a statement on Thursday to mark the International Day for People with Disabilities, agreed that every human being has a great deposit of potentials needed for the societal progress and nation building.
He, however, noted that based on their peculiar needs, the physically challenged persons in society need special attention to help them become and remain productive.
“We all may not have been equally gifted in life, but we all have deposits of greatness that when explored and fanned into flames, will become beneficial to society. Our overall cultural consciousness on how we treat and interact with the physically challenged needs to be directed towards less discrimination and more social inclusion. We must therefore continue to love, help and support individuals among us who have peculiar needs based on their physical challenges,” Obi advised.
He called on government to always factor in the peculiar needs of the physically challenged in their governance, and always make policies that will be beneficial to them while advising government not to take lightly the health and education of the physically challenged stating that schools for Special Needs could be set up to cater for them.
On employment, Obi said the physically challenged need to be given due consideration while making enough room for their robust representation in every political setting.
He encouraged the physically challenged people to continue to live positively and contribute productively to society.
The International Day for People with Disabilities is celebrated on December 3 every year by the United Nations.