President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday commissioned a comprehensive special school for the physically-challenged in Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa State.
The school, said to be one of the largest of its kind in the country, was built by the state government to cater for all categories of people with disabilities.
According to the state Governor, Tanko Al-Makura, the school will offer free education for the disabled from primary to tertiary levels.
Also present during the commissioning of the school was Plateau State governor, Solomon Lalong; Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu; Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, among others.
“I commissioned an electronic library; a fire service facility and now a sufficient need school. Later today I will commission a model primary health centre and an urban market all here in Nasarawa. This is the change people of Nasarawa State voted for,” Mr. Buhari said.
He said the special school was built to uplift the standard of living of everybody through social investment programmes especially to cater for the deaf, the blind and other physically-challenged persons.
“This is indeed our inclusive policy that no child, man or woman should be left behind. This is a well put out initiative to give hope to a key segment of the society, which has been neglected by the previous government. We must help our disabled and improve their development,” the president noted.
He also reassured Nigerians that the government was making efforts to achive its cardinal objectives of security, curbing corruption and ensuring economic growth through diversification.
“I am equally pleased to launch the pilot scheme of the community health influencer promoters and services, CHIPS national programme here in Nasarawa. I have directed the Minister of Health to synergize with other states to run out the programme to enable the less-privileged and rural dwellers to have access to health services,” he said.
The state governor, Mr. Al-Makura, who also spoke at the event said the special school was built to improve the lives of persons with disabilities.
“The school is for people with vision impairment, deaf, dumb, crippled and people with all sorts of down syndrome. We made their education free from primary to tertiary level.
“The school is also affiliated to world renowned centres for persons with disabilities and also equipped with modern facilities”, the governor said.
He further urged the Ministry of Health to adopt the initiative’s comprehensive curriculum for persons with disabilities nationwide.
The governor further appealed to the National Assembly to harmonize the disability bill. “I believe President Buhari wants to sign that bill into law,” he said