Beggars under the auspices of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) on Monday stormed the Kaduna State Government House in their hundreds to demand the withdrawal of the anti-begging law until the governor fulfill his campaign promises.

Security operatives on spotting the beggars quickly mobilised and blocked them from gaining entrance into the Government House premises. An Amoured Personnel Carrier was stationed at the entrance a few metres away from the main gate, while men of the Nigerian Police Force who arrived in eight Hilux vehicles took strategic positions around the premises carrying guns and their gas with a view of forestalling outbreak of law and order.

Spokesperson of the group, Muntari Sale, expressed dismay over what he called the ‎nonchalant attitude of Governor Nasir El-Rufai towards people living with disability. He vowed that they will not relent in their efforts until the governor fulfills his promises to them.

Mallam Sale said: “We demand that the governor of the state, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, and members of the State House of Assembly to fulfill the promises they made to us during their campaign while seeking for votes from us. The Governor promised us that he will not ban street begging until he makes adequate arrangement for our upkeep and welfare.

“He promised that 30 per cent of our members would be giving ‎employment anytime the state government has a programme running which has not been met, he also promised to provide for the sick, educate our children and employ those in different skills with a view to easing the suffering of the people living with disability.

“This law was passed in Kano, Edo and Lagos states as well as the FCT and they did not succeed, the government has not made adequate arrangements for us and yet it wants to ban us from our only source of livelihood. We are human beings like everyone, the way everybody is delivering children, that is the same way we are, the way people marry is the way we marry and the way parents try to educate their children is the same way we try to educate ours

“He promised to employ our children, unfortunately, he has employed people in the Kaduna State Traffic and Environmental Law Enforcement Agency (KASTELEA), but none of our children were employed, he also employed street sweepers, and none of our children were employed that they employed women to cook food for state schools the school feeding programme, yet none of our wives or children have benefited, they way every individual used their thumb to voted for El-Rufai, that is the way people living with disability also voted for him including the deaf, dumb, blind and cripples.”

The JONAPWD Spokesman called for the removal of the present Special Assistant to the governor on Disability, saying he is the cause of most of their predicaments and accused him of not fighting for the cause of the people living with disability but himself.

Representative of the governor and Special Assistant to the Governor on Stakeholders, Abdullahi Bayero, explained that the governor was in a meeting and appealed to the protesting beggars to be patient.

He further asked them to select five representatives that will table their demands to the state governor as all of them could not be allowed into the government house for security reasons.

At the time of filling this report, the beggars where still at the Government House waiting to hear the outcome of the meeting with the governor.

•Photo shows Governor El-Rufai.

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