Osun Govt Empowers 100 Vulnerable Citizens, Persons With Disabilities

Governor Adegboyega Oyetola has commenced residential skill acquisition training for vulnerable citizens in the state.

The gesture is in line with the administration’s resolve to run a participatory, all inclusive and people-oriented government.

The vocational and technical training is aimed at empowering over 100 persons living with disabilities across the state.

The beneficiaries, majorly vulnerable and persons with disabilities, drawn from across the local government areas of the state are confined to a place where they will be exposed to and trained on various vocational and technical skills to make them economically independent and financially reliant.

The programme, according to government officials, is organised annually to support the socio-economic needs of the vulnerable citizens in the state.

Speaking during the commencement of the programme in Ilobu, Irepodun Local Government Area, the Director of Special Needs, Ministry of Social Protection, Sports and Special Needs, Mrs. Taiwo Oladunjoye, said the initiative is aimed at ensuring the inclusion of people with disabilities in all the social and economic activities in the state.

She noted that the programme will help to expose the trainees to marketable skills that can uplift them from their present socio-economic status to desired positions in life.

Describing the initiative as a noble way to rekindle the hope of the hopelessness, Mrs. Oladunjoye noted that the programme will help to create sense of belonging to vulnerable citizens and persons with disabilities in the state.

“We are doing this to give the vulnerable a sense of belonging in government in line with the governor Oyetola’s commitment to ensure equitable distribution of resources to all and sundry regardless of socio-political and economic background.

“This is a life-supportive programme designed to banish hunger, banish poverty, banish unemployment and ameliorate sufferings among the vulnerable citizens and persons with disabilities.

“It is our belief that this programme will help to prevent our vulnerable citizens and persons with disabilities from begging or looking for white cola jobs.

“As you can see, this is a residential intensive skill acquisition programme, where the participants are fed three square nutritious meals daily for a week.

“Since the commencement of the training exercise, the participants have been exposed to the production of liquid and solid soaps; toilet cleaner; cosmetics, pop corn; puff-puff; chin-chin; fish-roll, meat-pie and tie and dying among others.

“On the completion of this exercise, the trainees will be given capital to invest and start their own businesses in line with what they acquire in the course of the training exercise. We are going to monitor whatever is given to ensure that the fund is used for the purpose to which it was meant for”, she said.

The immediate past Commissioner for Social Protection, Youth, Sport and Special Needs, Hon. Biyi Odunlade, lauded the efforts of Governor Oyetola for building on the legacies of his predecessor.

He described Osun’s social protection programmes as one of the best in the country, assuring the participants of government’s continued support.

Odunlade appealed to the trainees to take whatever skill they acquire seriously and begin to think on how they will maximise their potentials for greater productivity.

Some of the beneficiaries that spoke were full of gratitude to the administration of Governor Oyetola for creating an enabling environment for them to thrive in spite of their conditions.