Olasunmibo Aboluwade, Abuja
The leadership of the National Assembly has pledged to make adequate provision in the 2024 budget for people living with disabilities in the areas of sports.
The Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Ali Ndume, and the Chairman, Senate Committee on Sports, Senator Sumaila Kawu, made the pledge when they received members of the Federal Capital Territory para-soccer team.
The National game was held at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, and the Abuja team came second
Addressing the athletes at the National Assembly premises, Ndume, who is the Vice-Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation said special funds would be allocated to parasports to encourage them
He said, “The National Assembly will join hands to ensure that there is adequate provision of funds for the people living with disabilities in the 2024 budget.
“We will also expose them to the International competition just as some of our footballers are making waves in the International arena.
“Recently, these people living with disabilities in the Nigerian Army recently went for a competition in Germany and came back with gold medals.
“As you are all aware there was a recent National Para Games in FCT, Kano took the gold; Lagos took the bronze while the FCT took the silver medal.
“They (athletes) came to my house and I told them to come to the National Assembly.
“These are people living with disabilities who need to be given publicity because they are doing a lot of great things despite their challenges.
“They have shown that living with disabilities is not the end of the world, If you’re able to live with the disabilities; it’s not the end of the world.
“Most of them are married, some of them have businesses and I stood as guarantor to many of them to secure some grants to fund their businesses.
“I have a couple of shoes made by some of them. They are actively engaged instead of begging about the whole place,” Ndume added
