Gombe, Gombe State – April 26, 2024
The Advocacy for Disability Act (ADAC), a consortium comprising five Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Joint Association of Persons with Disability (JONPWD) Gombe State Chapter, and Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (ANGO) Gombe State, has called upon the Gombe State House of Assembly to prioritize the legislative process for the passage of the disability bill.
In a statement signed by Grace Jerry, ADAC Cluster Anchor and Executive Director of The Inclusive Friends Association (IFA), the group commended the Gombe State Executive and Judiciary for their integrity and urged the State Assembly to implement the commitment made by the representative of the Gombe State Speaker, Rt. Hon. Abubakar Muhammad Luggerewo, who was represented by the Chairman of the Gombe State House Committee on Education, Hon. Shuaibu Adamu, to prioritize the legislative process for the bill.
The five Civil Society Organizations involved in the advocacy are El-New Hope Foundation (Abia State), Global Youth Empowerment and Vulnerable Initiative (Adamawa State), Lawanti Development Community Foundation (Gombe State), Center for Peace Education and Community Development (Taraba State), and The Inclusive Friends Association (IFA) based in Abuja.
The ADAC Cluster is implementing the Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement (SCALE) project through Palladium, funded by USAID.
Joining the chorus of over half a million (594,015) Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Gombe State, the ADAC Cluster commended the Gombe State Ministry of Justice, under the leadership of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Barr. Zubairu Muhammed Umar, for reviewing the draft Gombe State Disability Bill and transmitting it to the Executive Governor’s Office, His Excellency Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya.
The commitment to prioritize the review of the document was made during the ADAC Legislative Retreat to Harness Legislative Support on the Gombe and Taraba State Disability Bill, held on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, by the Ministry’s Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Barr. Muhammad Samaila Hinna.
Ahead of the retreat, ADAC engaged in advocacy with specific government agencies and held stakeholder forums where the Gombe State Draft Disability Bill was reviewed before submission to the Ministry of Justice.
With this development, the Cluster and the aforementioned groups urge the Gombe State House of Assembly to implement their commitment to prioritize the legislative process for the bill.
The ADAC remains optimistic that Gombe State will soon join the league of inclusive states in Nigeria, given its demonstrated interest and commitment to issues concerning the Disability Community.
The statement also humbly calls on Gombe State Governor, His Excellency Mohammed Inuwa Yahaya, to uphold the commitment in his statement regarding providing necessary support for the empowerment and dreams of PWDs. Efforts to establish an Agency to cater to the unique needs and welfare of the PWD community are underway, and the ADAC urges the Governor to make the bill an Executive one and assent to it upon completion of the legislative process.
