I Was Advised To Kill My Child – Amina Bello Kogi First Lady

Wife of Kogi State governor and Founder
of Hayat Foundation, Mrs. Amina Bello, has
suggested that government should enforce
the provision of wheelchairs for physically
challenged children and “shut down any
school which discriminates against them.”
She told journalists in Abuja how close
friends and some family members mocked
her for having a son who has cerebral
palsy. Bello said she was advised to inject
her son with a lethal substance to end the
insults.
In her words:
“Schools which
discriminate against
children who are
living with physical
and developmental
challenges should be
shut down. Before you
set up a school, it
must be accessible to
these children with
special needs. You
must have special
teachers or therapists
in every class and of
course you should be
certified fit to open a
school for special
needs children.
“There is also the
stigma which starts
from your immediate
environment. People
will be whispering
when a child with
special needs or his
parents are around.
This has made a lot of
parents to live in
depression. This is the
reason why some
parents choose to live
in denial and lock up
such children. I was
advised to inject my
son with harmful
substance and some
people advised me to
take him to the
village.”
Bello called on government to make it
compulsory for schools to provide
wheelchairs in schools.
The foundation, according to her, will
establish an institute that will focus on
severe cases of cerebral palsy and open a
training centre for behavioural and
occupational therapists.
Punch
Alabatvnews.