By DANJUMA JOSEPH, Lafia –
Saturday, the 1st of February, 2025 will go down memory lane in the anals of history as a day the Nasarawa State Disability Rights Commission (NSDRC), under the able leadership of its Chairman, Comrade Sale Barde Keana, organized an event to mark the 2024 International Day of Persons Living with Disabilities.
This day will also go down memory lane that Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, a man with the heart of gold who have ‘Flair for Disabled Persons’ and so compassionate about their plight, honoured the NSDRC invitation and made a mark by donating cash and other items.
The epoch making event which was first of its kind in the state, was held at Ta’aL Conference Hotel, along Jos road Lafia, and attended by cream de la cream of the low and mighty in the state.
Senator Almakura, who was Special Guest of Honour at the occasion, was physically present and made a cash donation of ₦3,000,000 (three million naira) to disability office, another ₦200,000 (two hundred thousand naira) to disable musicians, he also donated wheel chairs for the disabled and other gifts to persons with disabilities in Nasarawa state.
The bottom line is that Al-Makura, who once described himself as a disabled person owing to his hearing impairment, is always there for these group of persons when the need arises, helping them either as group and individuals.
For instance, it was during his first tenure as a Governor of Nasarawa State, that he facilitated the establishment of Nasarawa State Disability Rights Commission. He went further to established, Government Comprehensive Special School, Lafia, that caters for these set of persons in and around the state.
As a Governor and later Senator, he also pursued with vigour the passage of a bill that culminated into to the establishment of “The National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD). It was an Establishment of Federal Government of Nigeria pursuant to section (31) of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disability (Prohibition) Act 2018.
The Act was signed into law on the 17th January 2019 by the former President of Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari. The Act among other things, empowered the Commission to promote, protect and prioritize the rights of persons with disabilities and to further enhance their productivity through education, health and other socio-economic activities.
In December, 2017 during his hay days as Governor, Al-Makura displayed an enormous act of kindness to a less-privileged woman when he was heading to the Government House Lafia, in a convoy, he spotted a disabled woman in a wheelbarrow being wheeled about by someone.
He pulled over, got out of his official car and walked to them and spoke to the then 25-year-old Fatima Musa, the disabled woman on the wheelbarrow, who is from Bauchi State, the beggar and mother of two who had deformed limbs was shown an act of generosity by giving her huge amount of money and then asked her if there was anything he could do for her.
Fatima Musa, then told him she wanted a car to carry her around instead of a wheelbarrow; instantly, with a winsome smile, the then Governor Al’Makura, granted her request and said she should be brought to the Government House, the next day to collect her car.
The following day at the Government House Lafia, Fatima Musa, was presented with the keys to a Toyota Corolla and additional money to fuel and get a driver to take her home to Bauchi State.
Mrs Fatima and all those present at that brief occasion tried to hold back their tears as she was put in the car and Almakura, helped put on her seat belt, before the car zoomed off with her old wheelbarrow in the boot.
Similarly, in 2018 Al-makura, graciously granted automatic employment to a physical challenged corps member, Murjanatu Buhari, as part of his own birthday gift to her.
These and many more gestures that Senator Al-Makura, has done to the less privileged in the society that time and space wouldn’t permit me to mention them all. This in my opinion bows down to his kind hearted and ‘Flair for Persons Living with Disabilities’.
Senator Al-Makura once said “Wherever I go, whatever position I hold, you would be one of my primary concerns. I pray God to continue to give the leadership in our society the wisdom, the focus to promote and develope these kind of schools, so that the vulnerable, the people who have these kind of challenges will have a bright future”.
