People with Special needs have appealed to the Federal and State Governments to operate an inclusive society to involve every citizen of the country in governance so as to jointly solve the problems of the country.
Speaking at a press conference to mark the 50th anniversary of the Kwara state school for Special Needs (KSSN), Ilorin on Saturday, Mr Muyiwa Afolayan, Chairman of the organising Committee of the event said that the school established in March 1974 has produced experts in many fields that can be used to fix the problems of the country.
“The government should operate an inclusive society in which they will accommodate all segments and people in the governance of the country.
“The School for Special Needs has produced experts in different fields such as IT, Engineering, Education, Science and other fields of human endeavors. The products of this school are engaged in different fields in America, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, Nigeria and different parts of the world.
“Our Alumni have excelled in various fields, showcasing the strength, resilience and capabilities instilled in us during our formative years at KSSN”, he said.
According to him, one of the products of the school is an IT expert in the United States of America while another ex-student, Lukman Agbabiaka, won the best Teacher of Year 2023 in Lagos state.
“With inclusive society, we will Nigeria better. If the government involves us, we can solve the problems of Nigeria.
“The government should accommodate us by appointing our members as Ministers, Commissioners, Special Advisers, etc, we should have representation in the National Assembly and State Assembly. Communities should involve us in various activities to make our contributions to the growth of the country,” Afolayan said.
He also urged government to employ old students of the school to teach Special Needs Students in their own language.
“Our alma mater has been a trailblazer in inclusive education, providing a nurturing environment for students with disabilities. It is a testament to the power of Education in transforming lives. The old students Association is proud to stand beside the school in continuing its legacy of inclusivity and support for generations to come.
“We are appealing to the government both at the Federal and State level to employ old students of the school (KSSN) who have acquired higher Education to teach Students with Special needs in their own language, they should be taught through sign language and Visual Arts skills instead of using English, Yoruba and other languages which is difficult for them to understand”, he said.
Speaking on the achievements of the old students of KSSN, Afolayan said that the old students of the school had renovated the school gate and built a resource center while those employed as teachers had sacrificed their salaries.
He said that the 50th anniversary being sponsored by the Old Students Association would witness the commissioning of the Resource center which will be named after Mr Gabriel Adepoju who was the first principal of the school and would feature a novel football match between the old students and the present Students of the School among other programmes.
