People with Intellectual Disabilities Deserve Equal Opportunity—Jalo-Waziri

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The Chief Executive Officer of Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc, Mr Haruna Jalo-Waziri, has called for equal opportunity for people with intellectual disabilities.

He described them as “an important part of our society,” emphasising that they deserve to get “all relevant support to fulfil their aspirations.”

Mr Jalo-Waziri made a case for these set of individuals when CSCS, Nigeria’s capital market infrastructure, bagged the prestigious Golisano Health Leadership Award 2020, a premium recognition of its significant contributions to Special Olympics’ Health programmes and the promotion of equal access to healthcare, wellness, and fitness for people with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) in Nigeria.

While receiving the award, he said, “This award is a great honour, a privileged recognition of our commitment to human welfare, especially amongst one of the most important segments of the society, people with intellectual disabilities, who have consistently made this country proud through their dedication to excellence.”

“Being an integral part of our business sustainability principles, we take seriously our social responsibility, as we believe in the mutual prosperity of our communities,” he added.

“We would continue to invest in the socio-economic wellbeing of our society, with a particular interest in ensuring everyone, irrespective of age, gender, ethnicity, race as well as physical and intellectual ability, have access to basic and required healthcare,” he assured.

He further promised that the organisation “will continue to promote inclusion and acceptance of individuals with intellectual disabilities, as they deserve to be valued, respected, and fully integrated into all aspects of our social and economic institutions.”

According to him, “This award is a call to service, not just for CSCS Plc to do more but to also encourage our partners, stakeholders and indeed everyone in our network to support healthcare and general wellbeing of people in our society, especially those with intellectual disabilities and other similar limitations.

“I use this opportunity to thank the Board of Directors of CSCS Plc, whose leadership and oversight remain the bedrock of our partnership with Special Olympics.”

“We are proud of the Special Olympics and we would sustain our partnership with this incredible not-for-profit organization which is uplifting the standards of living of people with intellectual disabilities, helping to discover their unique capabilities, providing the platform for realizing their dreams and giving hope to these especially talented fellows in the society.

“The well-documented successes of the Special Olympics are impressive, and it is a pride to be part of this humanitarian service to our society,” he further said.

The Golisano Health Leadership Award is the highest honour that Special Olympics awards to health partners who are on the frontlines of bringing essential health care services to people with Intellectual Disabilities.

The award was launched in September 2016 to recognise individuals and organizations that further the cause of Special Olympics and improve access to health care, fitness, and wellness programmes for people with intellectual disabilities.