“Disability is real, ability is real, existence is real—only lies and inconsistency make people invisible.”
This message is directed to all political leaders in Kogi State, and most especially to the Senators representing Kogi Central, Kogi East, and Kogi West. It is a call for truth, consistency, and justice.
Across Kogi State—particularly in Kogi Central—billions of naira have been spent on empowerment programs: motorcycles, tricycles, cash grants, tools, equipment, and other life-changing opportunities. These programs are publicly celebrated and widely publicized as people-oriented interventions. Yet, repeatedly and consistently, persons with disabilities are excluded—not because they lack ability, but because they are not considered.
This exclusion stands in sharp contradiction to the law you yourselves noted and passed at the National Assembly, which clearly provides that at least five percent (5%) of all employment opportunities, empowerment programs, interventions, and benefits must be reserved for persons with disabilities. When laws are made but not obeyed, when promises are spoken but not practiced, and when inclusion is preached but exclusion is implemented, the problem is not disability—it is lies and inconsistency.
Disability is real in Kogi State.
Ability is real among persons with disabilities.
Their existence is real, visible, and undeniable.
What makes persons with disabilities invisible is not their condition, but a system that distributes opportunities without equity, empowerment without inclusion, and development without justice. It is inconsistent to sign disability-friendly laws at the national level and ignore persons with disabilities at the state and constituency level. It is unjust to empower thousands while leaving behind a legally recognized group that the law explicitly protects.
This message is not an attack—it is a reminder. A reminder that true leadership is measured not by how many are empowered, but by who is not left behind. Persons with disabilities are citizens, voters, contributors, and stakeholders in Kogi State. They do not ask for charity; they demand their lawful share of opportunity.
We therefore call on all Senators and political office holders in Kogi State to:
Align empowerment programs with the 5% legal requirement for persons with disabilities
Ensure intentional inclusion in all jobs, programs, grants, and interventions
Move from political statements to consistent, lawful action
History will not judge leaders by the volume of money spent, but by the fairness of its distribution. Where truth and consistency prevail, persons with disabilities will no longer be invisible—and Kogi State will be stronger for it.
By: Comr Ahmed Abdulkareem Onimisi
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