By Bashir Bello, Abuja.
President Muhammadu Buhari has been commended for being the first Nigerian President to shown concern and passion for the plight of people with disabilities in the country.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouk made the assertion at the launching of National Commission for Person with Disabilities (NCPWD) in commemoration of the International Day for Persons Living with Disabilities on Thursday, in Abuja the nation’s capital.
The Minister while commending the President for helping to reintegrate people with disabilities into the society, she stressed that the President put in place machinery that would economically and socially better the lot of such persons.
In addition, Mrs Umar Farouk charged all ministeries, federal government parastatalls to reserve 10 slots for people living with disabilities as directed by the President during his Independent Day speech.
She further stressed that her ministry has captured more than one million persons with disabilities in its database while the ministry had provided one hundred and fifteen thousand of such persons with monthly stipends. She further stressed that over forty thousand of them has been enrolled in the NPOWER scheme while about five hundred have received POS machines so that they can commence business of sending and receiving money.
She added that the NCFWD has concluded plan to launch the first ever sign dictionary which shall also help the course of people with disabilities.
People living with disabilities have been described as social people who can do what many people who do not have disabilities can not do.
Pauline Tallen, the Minister of Women Affairs who this remark on Thursday, in Abuja. The Minister who was speaking at the Maiden Summit of National Disabilities Summit organized by National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, said that Nigeria can not move forward if certain persons especially those with disabilities are left behind or are not carried along.
Mrs. Tallen added that it is in view of that she is advocating that every sector of the country reserved 5 percent slot for people with disabilities.
Tallen also commended President Muhammadu Buhari for signing into law bill that outlaws discrimination against such persons and for recommending that persons with disabilities have equal opportunities in Nigeria.
The Minister further showered encomiums on Hajiya Sadiya Farouk, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development for organising the seminar which highlights the role and place of people with disabilities
The Chairman of the occassion, a former governor and a current senator, Tanko Umar Al Makura commended the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, and the National Commission for People with Disabilities for putting together the event to mark the International Day for people with disabilities.
Therefore, I commend the National Commission for Persons With Disabilities and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development for their thoughtfulness in initiating this summit to bring together stakeholders to continue to brainstorm on the challenges facing people with disabilities with a view to alleviating them.
The former poured encomiums on President Buhari for signing the bill that would set up the commission into law
” For over 18 years, the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Bill, as it then was, lingered at the National Assembly. Only lip service was paid to the discrimination suffered by such persons with and a myriad of other challenges facing them. But in 2018 when the Bill was passed for the fourth time, President Muhammadu Buhari did not hesitate to sign it into law to bring about the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition)act into being, he said .
