By Aderogba George
The Albino Foundation has stressed the need for inclusive education in the country to accommodate people with albinism and other forms of disabilities.
The Founder of the foundation, Mr Jake Epelle, made the call in Abuja on Sunday when he featured on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum flagship platform.
He said that as the president of the foundation he is doing everything within his power to push for inclusive education where everyone with physical disabilities would have access to education.
He added that inclusive education was the only way where most vulnerable people could be educated, saying that as a permanent member of the National Council on Education, he would do all he could to make people in authority to buy into the idea.
Epelle said that “by the time inclusive education is accepted by all, it would dismantle the so-called Special Education designed for a particular set of people.
“I am not a fan of special schools at all because it is contrary to the principle of inclusive education; inclusive education, you know, prepares the ground for everybody to participate in a safe and same environment.
“That is what inclusivity is all about. You know, you can imagine, if you were segregating me, you wouldn’t have me on your platform. So with that, we have been able to push a number of children to school, there was a time when I had 250 children in school.
“As part of the foundation intervention on albinism, we were buying sandals for these 250 children, paying their school fees, paying for their lunch, so there are a lot of things we have done that I can’t even sit here and remember.”
He called on other African countries to emulate the Nigeria system of managing albinism.
He stated that he had also expanded the scope of management of Albinism by pushing for proper recognition and awareness worldwide at the UN, “and the International Albinism DDayis now slated for June 13.
“So I sit on the UN Commission Committee called Action on Albinism. I am a UN ambassador for albinism.
“I am part of the African Union action plan for albinism and one of the things that I started proposing from 2007 is for the African Union to appoint an envoy for albinism.
“Today, we have an envoy on persons with albinism, and of course, we still have independent experts on albinism, so the little effort we’re making here in Nigeria, we are also making it at the regional, national and international front.
“I am pushing as the Chairman of the African Disability Protocol for Disability for Nigeria to ratify the protocol on disability,’’ Epelle said.
He said that he was also working on grooming young people who would take over from him in the struggle. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
