Physically challenged People staged a Protest in Kano to protest street begging

Hundreds of physically challenged persons in Kano city, comprising lepers, the dumb and the blind, Wednesday marched on Kano State House of Assembly to protest a law that banned them from street begging.

A similar protest also took place in Owerri, the Imo State capital, where visually-impaired people blocked the entrance to the Government House, for what they described as the neglect of the disadvantaged members of the society.

The   protesters in Kano who were chanting Allah Akbar(Allah is great), started their protest march  from the premises of Audu Bako Secretariat to the  assembly. They were received by the Clerk of the assembly, Lawal Badamasi Gezawa.

The protesters  condemned the plan by the state government to ban street begging, their only source of livelihood, without coming up with any empowerment programme for them.

Presenting a protest letter to the assembly, the leader of the protesters, Mallam Aminu Ahmed, said they decided to stage a peaceful protest because of the government’s inability to look into their condition.
Aminu told Gezawa that  "we are expecting the reply of our demand from the House of Assembly, but failure to do so will force us into a new system to press home  our case."

Receiving their letter, Gezawa, who addressed the protesters on behalf of the speaker, Alhaji Gambo Sallau, promised to forward their complaint to the government.

Attempt by policemen and security personnel from the Nigeria Civil Defence Corps (NSCD) to break the rally failed.

In a similar protest in Owerri, the visually- impaired persons, for the second time in one week, marched on major streets of the Imo State capital, over the non-payment of their subvention  for three months.

Operating under the aegis of Association of the Blind, Imo State chapter, and led by their chairman, Mr. Clinton Amaechi, the protesters barricaded the gate leading to the Government House, Owerri, asking for the immediate payment of their subvention, among other demands.

They were heard shouting: “We are hungry; why does the state government hate us? We need our subvention now.”
Amaechi said they needed equal treatment as others that are not physically challenged.

He also demanded that a school for the blind be built, while their allowances, which have not been paid since the assumption of office of the   governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, in 2011, be made available to them .

Addressing the demonstrators, the Chief of Staff and Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr. Jude Ejiogu, urged them to be law abiding, assuring them that the government would  look into their demands. http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/beggars-the-blind-protest-in-kano-imo/165914/

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