President Muhammadu Buhari has charged the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities to play its roles adequately to enable the government to realise its objective of lifting 100 million citizens out of poverty.
The president gave the charge on Thursday at the State House, Abuja, when he received members of the newly established Governing Council of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities.
He said: “I am enjoining you as a team of the commission to realise that your work forms a critical aspect in achieving the objective of our administration to removing 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.
“I am, therefore, looking forward to commissioning projects and programmes of high impact on the disabled community in line with this vision.
“Your appointments were no mistake as you were all selected after careful evaluation and assessment of your good conduct and contribution to the society and the disabled community in Nigeria.
“The task before you is enormous. You must work diligently towards ensuring that the government is able to touch the lives of our fellow citizens with special needs despite our limited resources.”
The president said that his administration would continue to give effect to treaties that give inclusivity to persons with disabilities.
According to Buhari, Nigeria is a signatory and a state party to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which seeks to promote the inclusion of persons with special needs in all development efforts globally.
He, therefore, pledged that his administration would continue to give effect to all global, regional and sub-regional treaties that seek to improve the lives of the disadvantaged citizens.
The president expressed delight that the commission was finally in place has been an issue during his campaigns.
“In December 2014, during my campaign for the President of this country under our great party, I met with the Community of Persons with Special Needs who showed unalloyed loyalty and support for our party and my candidature in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital.
“I recall that the most pressing and priority request from the community was the passage of the disability bill and the subsequent presidential assent which I promised them I shall do. I am happy to have fulfilled that promise,” he said.
Buhari commended some governors who had enacted laws on disability and enjoined others who had not to do the needful.
“I thank the Governors of Plateau, Lagos and Nasarawa States for enacting disability laws and establishing Disability Rights Commissions in their states.
“I am calling on Governors of Yobe, Kano and Kogi States to implement their laws while those states that are yet to do so should take necessary action to enable Federal Government efforts have the desired impact at the subnational levels,” he said.
In her remarks, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar-Farouq, who led the team, noted that people with disabilities, local and non-governmental organisations and the international community had been commending the president for the establishment of the commission.
