Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi; his wife, Erelu Bisi Fayemi and friends dancing with students of Government Special School for the Blind, Ikere-Ekiti during a special session with the students as part of activities marking the Governor’s 48th birthday.
Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi on Saturday celebrated his 48th birthday with the physically challenged students at the State School for the blind and deaf, Ikere, as well as children at the State Children Correctional Centre, Ado Ekiti, with an assurance that no child in the State will be deprived of access to free and quality education on grounds of disabilities or conviction.
The Governor who had cautioned government officials against organising a high profile birthday celebration for him, said he was happy celebrating the birthday with the less privileged because “we all belong to the same humanity regardless of our state”.
Dr. Fayemi who donated a bus to the Children Correctional Centre in Ado –Ekiti, also brought gift items, including bags of food stuffs, mattresses, refrigerators, television sets and other items to the Centre and the School for the Blind and Deaf in Ikere Ekiti, stressed that anyone with disabilities should not be cut off from enjoying the same facilities that able-bodied people are getting.
He assured that Government would make their stay at the centres a better time for them by providing them with infrastructure that would make them better members of the society on graduation and rehabilitation.
While urging members of the public to inform government of any abuse or deprivation of physically-challenged persons in the state, the Governor urged the children at the Correctional home not to look down on themselves as staying at the home is not a stigma but a way to impact values that will make them contribute meaningfully to the society; adding that there are many Nigerian leaders today who had passed through correctional homes.
Fayemi stated that government owes them the duty to protect and provide for them according to the Child Rights’’ law, hence the commitment of his administration to establishing the centre and funding it so that the true Ekiti value of an honourable person, can be imbibed in them.
Children convicted in Ekiti under the penal codes have in the past 15 years been taken to neighbouring States to serve their correctional terms but some were said to have been missing during transit, hence the decision of the State government to give protection to the kids by establishing a Centre in the State.
Last modified: February 10, 2013