…as Oyebanji Approves appointment of more PWDs into State Public Service.
The Special Adviser to the Ekiti State Governor on Special Education and Social Inclusion, Mrs Adetoun Agboola has pledged that the administration of Governor Biodun Oyebanji would continue to implement programmes and policies that promote inclusivity and equal opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs)in the State.
The Special Adviser who gave the assurance in Ado-Ekiti during the flag off of a three-month vocational training Programme for 120 Persons With Disabilities, stressed the commitment of Government to ensuring the rights of PWDs to employment and participation in public life.
While assuring them of improved quality of live, the Special Adviser disclosed that Governor Oyebanji had approved the employment of another batch of PWDs into the lower and higher cadre in the State Public Service.
Mrs Agboola highlighted some steps taken by the present administration to improve the quality of live of PWDs in the State to include: Implementation of free Qualitative Education policy for PWDs, free feeding and accommodation for pupils and students in the three special schools, recruitment of qualified staff and massive investment in infrastructure and state-of -the art equipment in the special schools, establishment of therapy room in the three Government Special Schools, establishment of a dedicated therapy center with specialists staff and facilities in Ado-Ekiti as well as empowerment of PWDs to be self reliant, through capacity building and employment opportunities among others.
She congratulated the participants for being selected for the training Programme appealing to trainers to be painstaking in order to bring the best out of their students.
While urging PWDs not to see themselves as liabilities but to be useful to themselves and the community as a whole, Agboola
noted that about 70 PWDs had been trained and empowered in the last two years while the present set made up of 120 trainnees would be trained under a new curriculum made up of three months intensive capacity building programme that will be followed by 3-months industrial attachment that will be supervised by already established professionals in their trades and after which participants would be issued with proficiency certificates
She also declared that the agency is ready to partner with the University of Oye Ekiti on skills acquisition programmes.
While declaring open the ceremony, the Special Adviser to the Governor/ Director General Office of Transformation and Service Delivery,( OTSD) Dr John Ekundayo reminded the participants that Mr. Governor is passionate about the development of PWDs.
He urged the participants to utilize the huge opportunity by ensuring that the objectives of government is achieved through the programme
In their good will messages, Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Rehabilitation and Metal Health Mrs Olabisi Fatoba, JONAP Chairman Sesan Aina and the Head.of Department, Gender Social Work and Development Studies at the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Dr Anthony Adebayo all advised participants to see the training as a life changing event that would put them in the right part in life.
Mr. Ife Abejide and Mr. Tope Adebayo who are participants thanked the Governor and promised to contribute to the society with the knowledge gained from the training.
The 120 participants would undergo six-month training and industrial attachment in Hair Dressing, Fashion Designing, Shoemaking, Information Communication Technology and Catering.