The Labour Party governorship candidate in Kwara State, Comrade Issa Aremu mni, has encouraged people living with disabilities in Nigeria to always keep their hope alive, just as he called on President Muhamadu Buhari led administration to implement the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference with respect to Persons Living With Disabilities (PLWDs).
Comrade Aremu made this known on Monday during a special get-together he organised for the people living with disabilities to mark this year edition of the International Day of Persons Living With Disabilities (IDPD) held at Mustapha Akanbi Foundation Hall, Onikanga street, G. R. A. area, Ilorin, the kwara state capital.
The governorship hopeful, who rejoiced and had a moment of joy with people living with disabilities at the gathering, called for the passage of a special law that will adequately cater for the peculiar interest of these segment of citizens so as to make life more bearable and convenient for them.
He explained that the celebration was aimed at promoting an understanding of disability issues and mobilise support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities.
The hall was filled to the brim as the celebrants turned out in large number under the aegis of National Joint Association of People living with disabilities led by their National Chairman, Comrade Bashir Yusuf.
Commenting on the theme of this year’s edition of the celebration, “Empowering Persons with disabilities and ensuring inclusiveness and equality”, Comrade Aremu appealed to all and sundry to show love to these group of people for them to feel like real citizens and to live a fulfil life.
He said it is unfortunate that an estimated one billion people live with some disabilities worldwide, while 25 million Nigerians are living with sundry disabilities, adding that these innocent fellow country men and women are faced with many barriers and stigmatisation.
He expressed worry over the state of affairs of Persons Living With Disabilities in Nigeria, pointed out that it behoves on every government to attach utmost priority to the upkeep of these members of the society.
The labour party flag-bearer therefore announced his willingness to make life meaningful for people with disabilities, saying his government would appoint a number of them as commissioners in the state cabinet if elected governor in the 2019 general elections.
He said there is ability in disability, adding that it is interesting to know that some of these people living with disabilities are graduates while a number of them are into various vocational skills.
Comrade Aremu however called on President Buhari to ignore the excuses of some state governors who insisted that they could not pay the N30,000 minimum wage and go ahead with the implementation process of the new wage bill.
He said the current reality in Nigeria is that not only physically challenged people are disabled but over 70 per cent of citizens of this country are economically disabled.
Aremu urged President Buhari to be courageous enough to transmit the new wage bill to the legislature since he enjoys the support of Nigerians on the salary increase.
“President Buhari has done very well on the issue of wages. He is the only President, who has looked at the eyes of some of these Governors including members of his party, to say how do you sleep when you don’t pay salaries. For me, that is statesmanship, that is leadership. Not only that, they said some of them don’t have money, he gave them bail out one, bail out two, Paris Club refund, and yet some of them are defaulting.
“So, I want the President to offer the leadership to the logical conclusion and quickly send the executive bill to the National Assembly, ignore all those lousy governors, irresponsible governors. Electorate will face them very soon during the elections.
“While he should carry along those good governors, who are paying salaries as and when due. We will only talk of irresponsible governors who don’t want to pay. We should recognise those who are paying. Some are even paying more. Edo State is already paying N25,000. For me, those are the governors, the other ones are dealers, and they have no basis to be in governance.
“In any case, these governors who said they can’t pay, have they told you they are not collecting salaries? They still have security votes, they charter flight, they live like kings even though most them cannot survive when they leave Government House. So, President Buhari has done very well and we are proud of him, his sense of integrity, his style of governance very modest. That is what Nigeria needs for the next level”, Aremu said.
Comrade Aremu who is the current Vice President of IndutriAll Global Union, have kudos to the organised labour for standing firmly in its demand for the N30,000 as the new minimum wage in the country.
He said, “I want to commend the organized labour for having common sense of purpose to put labour issue on the agenda, and I’m so happy for the past four months for the first time, labour is in the news. Organized labour has shown that you can’t have development with miserably, under-paid and unpaid workforce.
“And let me also commend Central Bank of Nigeria under Godwin Emefiele for boldly coming out that Nigeria economy can only recover if we pay workers very well because salaries and wages are spent by workers on basic goods and services, which are produced by private sector.
“There are two states today that are leading in terms of Gross National Product, Kano and Lagos. They pay salaries as and when due. They even pay more than the national average, because salary paid is the one that makes economy to turn round. So, all those Governors that are opposed to this issue of salaries are completely disgrace”.
Earlier in his address, the Chairman of the National Joint Association of Persons Living With Disabilities in Kwara State, Comrade Bashir Yusuf commended Comrade Aremu for the love and affection he showed to his members.
Yusuf described the recognition as a thing of joy, pointing out that it was during the regime of former Governor, Peter Ogar, that his members enjoined this kind of reception last.
He therefore assured the Labour Party flag-bearer of their unalloyed support during the 2019 general elections in the state.
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