The Lagos State Government in the spirit of the yuletide season presented financial support to the various service providers of children living with disabilities.
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The Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr. Olusegun Dawodu, said in a statement on Saturday, that the government celebrated with the children at a Christmas party held at the Correctional Centre for Junior Boys, Birrell Avenue, Sabo Yaba, Lagos.
Dawodu said that the celebration was in sync with the present administration’s pledge to ensure that children living with disabilities in the state were not left behind in the scheme of things.
He said that disability was not the lack of ability, noting that the potential of children living with disabilities were often overlooked because of the negative preconceived notion about these categories of persons.
According to him, the present administration will create a level playing ground for children living with disabilities to be useful and contribute their quota to the growth and development of society
Dawodu said that the government would continue to create awareness on the importance of catering for the welfare, well-being of children living with disabilities.
He said that the government would also provide financial support and an enabling environment for the private groups and service providers who were ready to help these children.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Mrs. Yewande Falugba, said that the government would continue to provide an enabling environment for children living with disabilities to thrive.
Falugba said that the government developed laws and policies that would enable the service providers to discharge their duties with ease.
The Head of Children Development Centre, Surulere, Dr. Yinka Akindayomi, commended the officials of the ministry for their consistency and kind dispositions toward children living with disabilities.
Akindayomi was one of the representatives of the service providers,
He said that with the financial support presented by the government, the families of the children with disabilities would be further encouraged not to hide their children because of their physically-challenged nature.
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She, however, appealed to the relatives of children with disabilities not to abandon them but realize that some of the greatest people in the world were born with disabilities.