…Appeals for total support from Ekiti people

By Rotimi Ojomoyela

Ado-Ekiti- Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, on Tuesday declared that all persons with disability in the state, especially the literate ones are henceforth to enjoy priority attention of government.

Fayose celebrating his 56th birthday with persons with disability

This was just as the Governor said the greatest birthday gift he wants the people of the state to give him is total support for him to do more for the state and her people.

The governor, who made the pronouncement at a ceremony marking his 56th birthday at the Government House ground in Ado Ekiti, said he deliberately choose to mark the day with the disabled persons from across the 16 local governments because of his passion for the downtrodden and the disadvantaged in the society.

He said he felt fulfilled celebrating the day with them, believing that such a development would instill hope in the hopeless.

According to him, every member of the society must be given equal opportunity and be made accessible to governments facilities.

Consequently, he announced that disabled persons are henceforth to be included on the protocol list of government while invitations to public functions are to be extended to them through their various associations.

Fayose said the special gestures would include adequate funding of schools for the handicapped, provision of pensionable employment, offer of political appointment as well as inclusion of reasonable number on the list of those to be paid monthly stipend under the social security programme of the state.

Earlier in an address, the state chapter chairman of National association of Persons with Disabilities, Mr Omotola Ezekiel expressed gratitude to the governor for lifting the gates of the Government House for his members to have unfettered access.

He disclosed that though a total of 10 disabled persons had so far been employed by the Fayose administration, more still needed to be done as no fewer than 500 members with NCE certificate and over 1,000 below NCE are still yearning for gainful employment in the state.

Fayose said, “The greatest birthday gift I want from people is not money  or gifts of different sizes, but their unflinching support so that I leave this state better than I met it.‎ I have good intentions like the Bible says that are targeted at giving Ekiti an expected end. The intention to have a better university, a better College of Education and state of the art facilities for our health institutions.

“I have spent two years and I can still do more and it is not me but Christ that gives me ‎strength. I won’t shirk in doing my responsibilities. You have committed yourselves to me in the last two years and you must not stop and I am not getting younger too.”