The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu, has made a case for the establishment of a Ministry to solely take care of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs).
According to him, if Nigeria can have a Ministry of Women Affairs and for Youths, the PWDs constituency is big enough to also have a Ministry.
The Chairman however appealed to President Bola Tinubu to consider the PWDs in his administration by creating a Ministry for them so that their voices can be more amplified.
He also said the party will meet with federal and state authorities to push for inclusiveness of the PWDs in appointing people to various positions.
Adamu however noted that he is not promising them appointments but he would persuade President Tinubu and other APC governors to consider Persons with Disabilities in their government.
“I don’t want to be promising everybody something, we would try to see how governors can patronise in appointing you as board members and get at least one Commissioner. It will go a long way for you to know that we care.
“We would sit with the Federal and the state level to see what we can do along the prayers that one of us in the course of the interventions would be allowed.
“Now there is also a preposition and I take that very seriously. If we do have a Ministry of Women Affairs and Youths. I think this Constituency is big enough.
“The NWC will take whatever steps in an appropriate way when we meet the president to convey this message because for me it’s a message, it is not an assignment and it is my prayer we succeed so that one of the ministries will be for the PWDs.”
A communique by the PWDs after their meeting held at the APC National Secretariat, appealed to President Tinubu to tackle head-on by prioritizing the concerns of Persons With Disabilities which includes; financial inclusion of PWDs, accessibility and economic development and empowerment among others.
“We call on the government to provide conditional income support to very poor households. In exchange, recipients will be required to meet key human capital development goals like school attendance, healthcare and nutrition.
“Provide unconditional income support to elderly, extremely poor and DISABLED PERSONS, Create new job opportunities for young Nigerians from poor and underprivileged backgrounds.
“Introduce new social investment programs supporting the development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) particularly among the poor.
“Our candid submission is that these investment programs will improve business productivity, widen access to affordable finance and capital markets and expand businesses such that beneficiaries can offer employment to others. These programs and initiatives will give priority access to PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, women and young people”.
The group further called on President Tinubu to create a PWDs Ministry saddled with the onerous task of ensuring strict implementation of the letter and intent of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018.
“Equally, all six (6) PWDs Zonal leaders, State and FCT PWDs leaders should be given both federal and state appointments into MDAs. This call will go a long way to ensure political inclusion of capable and committed PWDs leaders of our party.”
End.
