FG to employ 3,000 physically challenged persons

By Aideloje Ojo Minna Th e federal government will soon employ qualifi ed physically challenged persons into the federal civil service. Senior Special Assistant on Disability Matters to the President, Mr. Samuel Ankeli, stated this yesterday in Minna. He said recruitment was part of government’s plans to reduce the number of physical challenged persons in the streets. Ankeli, who was on an advocacy visit to the physically challenged, said the federal government had also agreed to give employment to children of the physically challenged in the ongoing Immigration recruitment, adding that they “will also be recruited into armed forces and the police.” He said physically challenged in the country “will be trained in fi sh farming, livestock and other crop production,” adding that “this will be done in conjunction with the national council on agriculture.” He said the essence was to enable physically challenge in the country to have a source of income, adding: “Th e fi sh farming training programme for those in Niger state will take place between August and September this year. “Th e government has agreed to release take off funds for the trainees after their graduation.” As a fi rst step, Ankeli said 200 hearing impaired children of the physically challenged were tested in Eungu state where 105 of such people “were identifi ed, treated and cured of their hearing diffi culty.”