We, the People Living With Disabilities in Kogi Central People congratulate Hon. Abduleazaq Yusuf Muhammed, Okene Local Government Administrator. The group took liberty of writing to pay you courtesy visit but we feel neglected due to lack of information channel in Okene Local Government.
The Disabled Community in Kogi Central wrote the five Local Government Administrators in Kogi Central early this year. The workaholic and vibrant Administrator of Okehi LG, Hon. Abdulraheem Ohiare responded swiftly and invited us for round table meeting. This was followed by Hon. Akande Moses, the former Administrator of Ogori/Magongo LG. He also honoured our request for visitation.
The then Adavi Local Government Administrator, Hon. Ajoge Abubakar Enesi ignored our request. He thought the Special People are not part of his constituents. God always be praised as he was shown his way out the Local Government to prevent it from total destruction. He was replace with a sound mind, grassroots politician and twin brother of Okehi Administrator, Hon. Joseph Omuya Salami who understand that there is ability in disability. Hon. Omuya granted our request of visit two weeks after of his assumption of office. Hon. Joseph Omuya Salami (JOS) rejoiced with us and made one of our members, Hon. Usman, his Special Assistant on Persons Living With Disabilities. This is an emulation of Governor Yahaya Bello’s actions at the state level.
Unfortunately, Okene Local Government Administrator has turned a deaf hear to the request for our visitation. This is a person everybody believe knows much about the grassroots, unfortunately the position has turned him round.
Our first letter, received by Office of Local Government Secretary, was acknowledged on 28 February, 2018 and the second one was also received as reminder and acknowledged on 21 May, 2018. I personally called his number, that of his P.A. on Media and others close to him but he remained obdurate. It is obvious and evident that Hon. Abdulrazaq Muhammed alias Ya Muhamma doesn’t associate himself with the Disabled Community Kogi Central and Vulnerable Children in Okene.
We all know in the past. Most of our politicians were bearing Animalist names but they perform well to the community they came from without abnegate. Now that we have Ya Muhamma, an acronym of our Noble Prophet (May Peace and Blessings Allah be Upon Him), he is expected to be a God fearing man.
The Holy Quran says in so many verses, as a core principle of Islam:
“The Believers, men and women, are protectors one of another: they enjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil: they observe regular prayers, practice regular charity, and obey Allah and His Messenger. On them will Allah pour His mercy: for Allah is Exalted in power, Wise. (9:91)
“Believe in Allah and His messenger, and spend (in charity) out of the (substance) whereof He has made you heirs. For, those of you who believe and spend (in charity), for them is a great Reward. (57:7).
We are not beggars, we belong to this society, we have a part in this governance and we can do better than some people who claimed they are able. If Ya Muhamma cannot follow the footsteps of other Local Governments or GYB policy on Persons Living With Disabilities in Kogi State, at least people should see the qualities of our Noble Prophet (May Peace and Blessings Allah be Upon Him) in you or your governance.
Those of you who think disable people are not useful to society are wrong because there is ability in disabilities.
Any government, NGO and private individual that neglect the welfare of Person with Disabilities have no fear of God and such people are heading to disgrace, failure, shame and destruction. Remember that, God made everything beautiful to his glory so, who are we to despise God’s creature? I have this question for whoever that is looking down on persons with disabilities. Did we created ourselves? That you are not physically challenged, does it mean you bribed God? Are you more righteous than those of us that physically challenged? Can you predict what will happen in the next one minute?
Oh! I pity those who ignorantly look down on the physically challenged and those who called them stubborn set of people. Are the disabled persons really stubborn? No, we are not. The action you are seen in the life of persons with disabilities is as a result of so many talents embedded in us and sometimes, if our conditions does not allowed us or the environment is not conducive for us to put them to use, it lead to some reaction and as such, I want to call on the society to kindly try to understand our pain and provide an enabling environment for us to utilize our brain. So many of us are far better with our brain compare to some people who claim to be physically.
“Brain not leg”
– Yakunbu Nazir Abdulhakeem
Secretary, People Living With Disabilities in Kogi Central
