By Justina Asishana, Niger

Persons Living with Disability in Niger State have protested against perceived marginalisation in the Federal Government’s Special Public Workers scheme.

The protesters said only 100 persons with disabilities were picked among the 25,000 people selected in the state.

The group protested in Minna, which ended with a news conference at the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

Chairman of the Joint National Association of Persons Living with Disability in Niger State, Isah Abdullahi, who led other members, said this was against the directive by the Federal Government that at least five per cent slots be given to PLWD adding that 100 represents 0.4 per cent allocated to them.

Read Also: Buhari hailed for reconstituting disabilities commission

Abdullahi said the association had forwarded names of 50 members from each of the 25 local government areas to the National Directorate of Employment, which totalled one thousand two hundred and fifty.

He said that it was disappointing that when the list was released, only two local government areas had considered persons with disabilities, allocating only 100 slots to them as against the one thousand two hundred and twenty-five names earlier sent.

He lamented that persons with disabilities had been marginalised in the state for so long saying that this recent development is the peak of it all.

“We are vulnerable persons if there is anybody that should benefit more from any empowerment policy of the government, it should be persons with disabilities because we are more vulnerable to poverty and disaster.”

He appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to come to the aid of persons with disability and ensure that the anomaly is addressed.