Illegal composition will ruin gains of establishing Nigerian Disabilities Commission — PWD

By: Abayomi Adeshida, ABUJA

President Muhammadu Buhari has been urged to save the thirty-million Nigeria Persons with Disabilities by looking into the composition of the Nigerians Disabilities Commission and ensure that it follows the letters that were enshrined in the Nigerian Disability Act which clearly spelt out the membership of the Commission to ensure an effective service delivery that was envisaged during the struggle for the establishment of the Commission.

These were contained in the media release signed by the President, Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities International Incorporation, Chief Eric Ndubueze Ufom in a swift reaction to the 2021 budget defence by the Executive Secretary, National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Mr. James Lalu before the Senate Committee on Special Duties at the National Assembly Abuja.

Speaking during the defence, the Executive Secretary had said, “just the provision of the device before a person gets artificial limbs that can last for more than five years will require M5,00.000,”Lalu was quoted to have said during the defence of the budget of N1,749,884,495 allocation for the Commission.

Also read: Nigerians Disability Commission would address nation’s fundamental problems — Us-Based Group

In a swift reaction, Chief Ufom who had followed the establishment of the Commission through the domestication of the American Disabilities Act in Nigeria that spanned over twenty years regretted that the first public representation of the Commission by the Executive Secretary was a clear demonstration that the current composition of the Commission was a far cry from the aspirations of those who fought for the establishment of the agency which was set out to do beyond budgetary allocations and financial management.