Blind Halima Musa Dantani is pursuing a diploma in Sharia and Civil Law
By Yakubu Ahmed-BK (Maibindiga)
Four blind students of Kebbi State origin who overlooked and overcame their physical deficiencies to pursue education and have weathered all to secure admissions to universities and polytechnics are at risk of dropping out of school.
One other, who tends to them as errand boy and caregiver but is not blind also risks dropping out of the Ahmadu Bello University at Master degree level due to his inability to fund the last stage of his programme.
The blind students are Nasiru Buhari who has secured admission to study Political Science at the Sokoto State University; Masa’ud Abubakar, Mass Communication, Kaduna Polytechnic; Garba Musa and Halima Musa Dantani all of them Diploma students, Shari’a and Civil Law, Waziri Umaru Federal Polytechnic Birnin Kebbi.
Their caregiver who had already done his first degree in Archaeology and History at ABU, Zaria and is currently on the verge of finishing a Master programme at the same university is Usman Bello.
While the first four are battling to pay for registration as well as to buy very critical tools that are necessary for their special needs due to paucity of funds and lack of assistance from the authorities, Usman Bello, another disadvantaged person is looking for money to finish his masters program. He confirms, in an interview, that he is the only Kebbi state indigene that has gone up to a Masters level in his discipline.
The caregiver, Usman Bello
He explained that he is currently on his course work and has gone half way in the research proposal. “I have done chapters 1, 2 and 3. Now I am ready to finish chapters 4, 5 and 6. As soon as I am through, I will have to type, print and bind the proposal ready to defend.” His biggest obstacle is that he has exhausted all his resource base and cannot fund this last part.
For the four, apart from the issue of registration which some of them have still not done, all of them are yet to buy the special tools necessary for them to study.
The Secretary of the Kebbi State Chapter of the Nigeria Association of the Blind, Malam Haliru Makaho confirmed that the tools are very essential for any blind student at undergraduate level. He said since a modern braille machine which cost N250,000 is beyond their reach, each one of them will settle for a combination of localised and archaic tools which cost much less, in order to cope.
The tools and their unit costs are Slate Seulus N15,000; a Sony digital recorder N15,000; a Portable Typewriter N35,000; Talking Dictionary N75,000; Flexible Walking stick N1,200 and few other tools like typing sheets, typewriter ribbon etc.
NOTE: I think this category of unfortunate members of Kebbi state indigenes require, by right, the intervention of the Kebbi state government and worthy sons and daughters of the state. While we are quick to condemn despondency and the almajiranci syndrome, we must also be quick to offer lifelines to those of them who work hard to become responsible members of the society.
The contact number of Haliru Makaho,
Secretary, Nigeria Association of the Blind,
Kebbi State Chapter and Zonal Coordinator,
North West Zone.
+234 803 803 9621
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