On 4th of May, 2019, Centre for Citizen with disabilities (CCD) organized a Thanksgiving Service in Commemoration of 100 Days of Signing National Disability Bill into An Act by President Mohammadu Buhari Held at Liberty Chapel, Seventh Day Adventist Church Utako, Abuja. CCD put together this thanksgiving service as part the activities to mark 100 Days in which the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Bill 2018 was assented to by President Mohammadu Buhari. It was to appreciate God for answering the prayer of more than 25 million Nigerians with Disabilities. The event witnessed songs and praises and church in appreciating CCD for choosing their church for the special thanksgiving set up a three-man committee in a move to domesticate national disability act in the church. Â The highlight of the event was a testimony/speech from the Executive Director, CCD, David Anyaele. In his speech, he thanked President Mohammadu Buhari for signing the bill into law. He recognized that it took the disability community more than 18 years of lobbing and advocacy to many sessions of the National Assembly for the passage of the bill, with different administrations at the Presidency denying assent to the bill. Appreciating that throughout the struggle for the passage of the bill, CCD organised three protest marches in 2017, 2018 and 2019, none of the participants at the protest marches suffered any form of injury or casualty. He acknowledged the support CCD received from partners (local and international) since the involvement and leadership of CCD in the struggle for the passage of the bill into an Act. He acknowledged the commitment of other leaders of disability community in the struggle which some of them were present at the thanksgiving. He commended the role played by the media in educating and sensitization of the public on the importance of the bill/Act and the need for the Presidential assent. Appreciating also that at the heat of the struggle God answered their prayers after CCD organized a prayer session at the Unity Fountain, Maitama, Abuja in less than 7 hours, God touched the heart of the President and he assented to the National Disability Bill.
David Anyaele is excited to appear before God to give Him all the glory for answering the prayers made by many Nigerians for the assent of the President on the Nigeria Disability Bill. CCD and the entire disability community are grateful to Pastor Kayode Arigbede, Senior Pastor of the Liberty Chapel, Seventh Day Adventist Church, Abuja for the constitution of a committee for the domestication of National Disability Act in their church. While appreciating the pastor for his move to domesticate the Act in his church, he called on religious bodies to support the government in the implementation of the National Disability Act as one of the key concerns of Nigerians with disabilities is access to worship centre on equal bases with others, most especially the Christian communities as this is in line Proverbs chapter 31 verse 8-9, which is what God expects from us.
To ensure that the purpose of the Act which is for the full integration of persons with disabilities into the society and establishes the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities; and vests the commission with the responsibilities for their education, health care, social, economic and civil rights is achieved.
David Anyaele urged the Federal Government to take urgent actions to ensure implementation of the National Disability Act. The first step expected from the government is the establishment of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities as provided in part 7, section 31 of the National Disability Act.
He called on the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture to take urgent action to ensure the full implementation of part 1, section 2 of the Act which provides that the Ministry shall make provisions for promotion of awareness regarding- the rights, respect and dignity of persons with disabilities; capabilities, achievements and contributions of persons with disabilities to the society.
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