By Ndahi Inusa, Maiduguri
THE North East Development Commission (NEDC) has distributed crutches, prosthesis and wheelchairs to People Living with Disabilities (PLWDs) in Borno state.
The people with disabilities are selected from various local government areas including Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC) and Jere council by the commission.
According to NEDC, the 188 assistive devices were procured at N94 million for distribution to the beneficiaries.
Flagging off the phase one (1) distribution of the walking devices, yesterday (Thursday), in Maiduguri, the Managing Director of the Commission, Mohammed Alkali disclosed: “The procured crutches, prosthesis and wheelchairs will assist and facilitate their mobility to public places, including markets, schools, farms and hospitals in the state.”
Besides commuting of PLWDs, Alkali said that the assistive devices are designed to empower them access service delivery in the education, infrastructure facilities and health sectors.
In a breakdown of the distributed walking devices, the NEDC boss said that out of the 188 devices, 100 are prosthesis, 30 each of wheelchairs and crutches and 28 walking armpits.
Alkali further said, other states in the region such as Gombe, Taraba, Adamawa, Bauchi and Yobe would get their own consignments in the next phases.
In an emotional remark at the event, the Executive Secretary of National Commission for People with Disabilities (NCPD), James David Lalu disclosed that there are eight (8) million people with disabilities in the North West and North East combined.
His words: “Today’s event marks a limestone in the history of our commission in meeting the aspirations of members with disabilities in the country.
He noted that besides the facilitation of mobility of PLWDs, the distributed three categories of devices will also improve the living conditions of people with disabilities.
Lalu added that the commission has 600 units of artificial limps for distribution this year.
He said that each of the six states in the region will get 100 artificial limps to facilitate their mobility in towns and communities.
The representative of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Sani Umar said that the distributed mobility devices will also break the socio-economic barriers facing the people with disabilities.
He added that several interventions have been designed to empower PWDs in the education, infrastructure facility and health sectors of the economy,
