By Yusuf Mohammed Lawan, Gombe
3rd Feb, 2025
Excerpts
ANN; What are your plans for the Yobe state Deaf Association as the new chairman?
Alhamdulillahi for all that. I began with introducing myself. My name is Idris Dahiru from Damagum Local Government Area, yobe state, but I live in Damaturu with wife and children. So after emerging as the new chairman of Yobe State Association of the Deaf (YOSAD), I am here to lead my people to develop our association, I'll do a lot of activities to help our Deaf people in this state. First, we will look into how we can encourage our Deaf children to go to school, provide food to those of us in Deaf community who are suffering from hunger especially during fasting, we will also hustle to lobby the government to build special education school in the state capital of Damaturu, I am working for those who have graduated with a diploma, degree, NCE , most of these people are from Yobe, I will try to contact someone from Abuja or Yobe State government officials to help the Deaf Association in Yobe state to seek our approval for employment and to seek innovation to open our deaf office, God willing.
ANN : What do you think is the biggest challenge/problem facing the Deaf community in Yobe state?
There are so many challenges that we are facing in Yobe state and I just want to give you a list of reasonable ones below;
1. Unemployment: Some of our students who graduated from various universities ,polytechnics, colleges of education etc gets their graduation certificates in NCE, diploma, HND and degrees, we are always trying to get a job for them but it's very difficult to get a job in government offices. That's why I must put more effort to help them get good works
2. Socio-economic Challenge:conomic
Most of the Deaf people in Yobe state are facing socioeconomic problems especially at this time of expensive fuel and essential commodities prices which make it difficult for the deaf people who are mostly poor to afford what they can buy some food in our markets. so I will try to help the Deaf people to get relief items from the North East development commission and other government boards in Damaturu like SEMA to help us in reducing the economic challenges faced by our people
3. Flood Challenge; Most of our houses were destroyed by floods during the heavy rains 5 months ago, which I believe SEMA have a lot to do to provide our flood victims with relief products but it's unfortunate SEMA has forgotten the Deaf in Yobe state, that's why I will try to engage in serious meeting with SEMA Executive secretary.
4. Absence of Post-Primary Special Education School in Damaturu:
Though the Yobe state government has built four special schools in different locations and LGAs in the state namely: Special Education Centre Damagum, Special Education Centre Nguru, Special Education Centre Njuwaje primary school Damaturu and Special Education Centre kwata primary school Potiskum, only Special Education Centre Damagum is a secondary and boarding school and the location of the centre far away from the state capital is making it extremely unbearable and difficult for the parents/caregivers and the Deaf students to extent their studies beyond primary level. That is the reason we are persistently appealing to Yobe state government to, as a matter of urgency, consider establishing a post-primary Special Education School in Damaturu being the state capital to ease the transportation Challenges of our students and promote continuous education within the Deaf community. We have some families who are using the non- availability of post- primary special school in Damaturu as justification for neglecting our Deaf children at home without enrolling them to special schools to quality education.
5. Lack of Capacity Building Training; Lack of capacity building training especially among the few Deaf workers has been a major cause for concern. Our teaming unemployed Deaf youth in Yobe state are in dire need of training and retraining be it entrepreneurship training, leadership training, life skills training etc in order to up their skills and for unlimited development.
6. Partnership with Sister Organizations:
Seeking the help of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to reduce the pain that affects them.
ANN; Not too long Yobe state governor announced the establishment of Yobe state Disability Commission and the appointment of Chairman of the commission, how did your Deaf people in Yobe state see this development?
I am very happy that Yobe state has taken a big step in the integration of the disability, by appointing Usman Bra Gabai as the new board of the commission for the disability on December 29, 2024, and as the new chairman of the Yobe State Association of the Deaf (YOSAD) I congratulated Usman Burah and he also congratulated me for emerging as the new YOSAD chairman. It has been 4 years of struggling and today we thanks God for leading Governor Buni to consider the significance of disability bill, so the governor has done excellent job for Yobe PWDs, so now as the new leader of the Deaf I will work hands in hands with with Hon. Usman Burah Gabi, chairman of the Commission to see to the greater development of Yobe state disability community.
ANN; Anything you want the state government to do for your people? What s is that?
We are grateful to God for giving us victory in the end just concluded election, so we have a new executives of Deaf Association in Yobe state, we want the Yobe state government to prioritize employing our many graduates and also support our YOSAD with office. We also want the government to include the Deaf community in Political appointment such as SA, PA etc.
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