Ekiti State Government has ejected over 30 physically challenged Deltans in their various special educational institutions, it was learnt yesterday in Asaba, Delta State capital. The government, it was said, took the decision due to the huge fund being spent on their welfare which it claimed was eating deep into the state lean resources.
Besides, the governments of Edo, Lagos and Kwara states were said to be warming up to emulate the action of Ekiti State as physically challenged were said to have taken special education institutions in these states.
National President of the Nigeria Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET), Dr. Joseph Okuoyibo stated this in Asaba at a press briefing ahead of the 23rd Annual Conference and Workshop of the association which starts today.
Dr. Okuoyibo also decried the attitude of some state governments for not implementing the 30% special allowance approved by the Federal Government for the special teachers, adding that the teachers were also being deprived of other incentives for motivation.
Delta State chairman of NASET, Dr. (Mrs.) Catherine Onwubolu, attributed the migration of physically challenged Deltans to other states for education due to the dilapidated nature of infrastructures at special education institutions across the state and called on the government to pay adequate attention to the sector.
She emphasized that the environments of such institutions were not friendly to those who expected to make use of the decrepit infrastructures, adding that the state only recently implemented the payment of 15% special allowance for the secondary school special teachers only.
“I wept for Delta State when I moved round all the schools for the physically challenged. Like in the state capital, Asaba, Agbor, Ughelli and other areas, the state could not boast of good infrastructures for the learning of these children what a shame,” she lamented.
Ekiti State chairman of NASET, Alhaji Lawal Ganiyu, bemoaned the inability of Delta State Government to take responsibilities of its physically challenged persons whom he said were scattered all over the country and were being catered for by other states government.
He said the ejection became necessary as Ekiti state government cannot continue to shoulder the responsibilities of Delta state which is an oil-producing state through the education of the physically challenged.
The association however called on governments at all levels, NGOs and wealthy individuals to come to the aid of both the physically challenged persons and the special teachers as anybody could be victim of disability tomorrow.