The Ekiti State Government has once again demonstrated its commitment to improving the lives of persons living with disabilities by distributing hearing aids to children with hearing impairments and presenting trade test/proficiency certificates to graduates of the 2024 Ekiti State Skills Acquisition programme.
The event, held at the Ekiti Skill Acquisition Centre, Ilokun, Ado-Ekiti, was led by the Special Adviser on Special Education and Social Inclusion, Princess Adetoun Agboola, in partnership with a medical team headed by Professor Ayo Osisanya from the Department of Special Education (Audiology and Speech Pathology), University of Ibadan.
Five children, including Abdulhamed Ahouyiza Sakeenah, Ogunlokun Opeyemi Folashade, Olanrewaju Iyanu, Adeyemi Adeola, and Arohunsoro Mary Oluwatoyin, received pairs of hearing aids, totalling 5.5 million naira. They were selected from about 70 beneficiaries captured to benefit from the hearing aids scheme subsequently.
Princess Agboola, while addressing the gathering, explained that the beneficiaries had gone through rigorous assessments to determine the most suitable intervention, noting that the devices would enhance their communication skills.
She added that the children could continue schooling at the School for the Deaf to benefit from both sign language education and speech therapy.
She praised Governor Biodun Oyebanji for prioritising disability inclusion since assuming office, recalling his previous support for persons with albinism, including the provision of sunscreen and umbrellas.
According to her, the governor has also personally sponsored surgeries and medical care for children with severe conditions, demonstrating his deep concern for the well-being of all citizens.
In his contributions, the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Oyebanji Filani, expressed the state Government’s commitment towards strengthening social inclusion and youth empowerment by prioritising Persons Living with Disabilities (PWDs) in its healthcare agenda through free health service enrollment, distribution of assistive devices and access to specialised treatments.
Dr Filani, who highlighted the state’s broader health agenda, described the two interventions as part of the state’s drive to achieve universal health coverage and economic empowerment for all residents, especially vulnerable groups.
He celebrated graduates of the government-backed Skills Acquisition Programme, who received Trade Test Certificates as proof of their competence and readiness for self-employment and entrepreneurship, adding that the empowerment initiative is a practical demonstration of Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s administration’s promise to uplift youth and vulnerable populations through skills training.
Trade test and proficiency certificates were also presented to the PWDs beneficiaries trained in various vocational skills under the state’s empowerment programme, where the Director of the Skills Acquisition Centre, Mr Akinlabi Adeyemi Olumide, highlighted the dual significance of the event to include improving communication for hearing-impaired children and celebrating the achievements of newly skilled youths.
He commended the government’s transformation of special schools, support for inclusive employment, and the establishment of a therapy centre for children with complex needs, just as he applauded Princess Agboola for her tireless efforts in championing disability rights in Ekiti.
Appreciating Ekiti state Government on behalf of others, one of the hearing-aid recipients, Mrs Ogunlokun Opeyemi Folashade, expressed joy and gratitude, thanking both the state government and Princess Agboola for always being responsive to their needs.
Also, one of the beneficiaries of the empowerment initiative, Mr Muhammed Abdulkabir, who is a graduate of Ekiti State University, thanked the government on behalf of the trainees for the startup kits and skills provided, pledging to use the opportunity to build better lives for themselves.
The programme ended on a high note, with the beneficiaries singing songs of appreciation and pledging their loyalty and support for Governor Oyebanji’s second-term bid.