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Ekiti State’s Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, has stressed his commitment to prioritizing the welfare and well-being of people with disabilities by providing an enabling environment for them to thrive irrespective of their circumstances.
Governor Oyebanji disclosed this on Monday while unveiling the state’s first therapy Centre for Children with Disabilities built through partnership with Premium Trust Bank.
The governor said he would not relent in his drive to ensure social inclusion for everyone living with one form of disability or the other until they are reunited with the mainstream society.
He added that the multi-sensory and therapy centre was tailored to meet the diverse needs of the children with disabilities noting that his primary desire is to see the children achieve their potential like their peers and develop into independent adults who can fend for themselves as well as contribute their quota to the development of the society.
Facilities at the centre include a TA therapy jungle gym, Calming tents, a Hammock, Balance beams, TENS machines, Bikes, Calming swings, Body socks and educational equipment. Some of the accessibility fittings include Fully ramped Swing bars and handrails in the restrooms.
The Governor also disclosed that in the drive to reposition the sector for effective service delivery, his administration has employed speech therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists at the public special schools to ensure that the children receive specialized care necessary for their development.
He also gifted the centre a bus to ease the transportation of the disabled to the centre.
“Recently, we saw a boy who used to be on one side crutches walking unaided for the first time due to therapeutic intervention. This brought tears to my eyes and it reassured me that with more support for the children and modern equipment for their schools and centres, they would be able to live a better life.
“Today, we take a monumental step forward by commissioning this public therapy facility which will provide essential speech, occupational and physiotherapy services to those children who cannot attend school due to the severity of their conditions. Some of these children have become burdens to their parents and the traditional schools reject them and some just need this therapy to advance in life.
“Whatever the children’s situation are, as a state we are committed to supporting them, they are our children, created by God and we will never leave them to suffer through life.
“This event also marks a significant milestone in our journey towards creating an inclusive society where every child, regardless of his abilities has the opportunity to thrive. As we gather to commission this public therapy facility for children with critical disabilities, I am deeply honoured and filled with hope for the future that lies ahead for these remarkable children.
“This project is made possible through the collaborative efforts of our administration and our generous partner, Premium Trust Bank led by a compassionate gentleman, Mr Emmanuel Emefienim, his commitment to community welfare aligns seamlessly with our vision of inclusivity, and we have formed a partnership to bring this facility to life and embody a shared dedication to empowering our most vulnerable citizens.
“Over the past two years, our administration has tirelessly focused on enhancing the lives of individuals with disabilities, we have launched several initiatives. Some of the initiatives include adaptive rooms initiative where the children can learn using multi-sensory materials and therapy rooms across the three special schools, it is the first of its kind in any public school in Nigeria.” ” he stated.
Earlier, the Managing Director and Chief Executive of Premium Trust Bank, Mr Emmanuel Emefienim expressed delight that he was part of the commissioning of a remarkable project aimed at enlivening the lives of physically challenged in society adding that his organization’s contribution to the project was based on compassion and selfless service to leverage on ensuring necessary provision for the urgent needs of the children.
Emefienim commended Governor Oyebanji for providing the necessary impetus and conducive environment to drive public/private partnership describing him as someone who is selfless and has a compassionate heart for the less privileged by leveraging on the platform he already provided to support his laudable initiatives.
He encouraged the children not to give up on themselves as they all have the potential to succeed and make it in life adding that the government was ready to continue to provide all the needed support that will enable them to fulfil their destiny.
In her welcome address, Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Education and Social Inclusion, Mrs Adetoun Agboola stated that the Centre was established to provide support for children who are out of school or on the verge of dropping out of school due to critical disability needs adding that the Centre is structured to also provide speech, occupational, physiotherapy, and educational therapy to serve as havens where children can access essential support, engage in therapeutic activities, and develop the skills they need to thrive.
Agboola, who disclosed that the Centre is equipped with 21st-century therapeutic and learning materials adding that the Centre will be fully accessible to individuals with disability, as she used the opportunity to call on residents of the state to avail people with disabilities the use of this facility.
She also thanked Governor Oyebanji for redefining inclusion and support for the community of people with disabilities stating that his contributions to the growth and development of people with disabilities are unprecedented in the annals of Nigeria.
Some of the parents at the event expressed their gratitude to the Governor for showing keen interest in the welfare of children with disabilities. They promised to take maximum advantage of the centre in improving the lots of the children.
They applauded the Governor for making the centre free for the children and for his promise to donate a bus to the centre so as to ease movement for the children.
Also at the event were the Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye; Secretary to the State Government, Dr Habibat Adubiaro; members of the state Executive Council, and officials of Premium Trust Bank among others.
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