by Chris Agbo
On Saturday 7th December, 2019, Inclusive Friends Association (IFA) organized a disability inclusion roundtable in Abuja to commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities with the theme: Promoting the participation of Persons with disabilities and their leadership: taking action on the 2020 Development Agenda.
The Executive Director, Inclusive Friends Association, Grace Jerry in her speech said that the main reason for the event was to raise the public consciousness towards the Discrimination Against Persons with disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 because even though part 1, section 2(b) of the act matches the theme of this year’s International Day of persons with disabilities. Not much has been done to implement the Act. The event was also to take action on the 2030 development agenda and resounding the universal call to Leave No One Behind. It simply means that over 28.5 million persons with disabilities who have been marginalized even with the passage of the disability law. To also ascertain the level of election inclusion.
The 2030 agenda is for everybody irrespective of the persons’ condition and status. The Sustainable Development Goals unlike MDGs addressed disability issues concerning political and socio-economic aspiration.
She went further to proffer steps that must be taken to Leave No PWDs Behind towards achieving SDGs 2030. She called on President Muhammadu Buhari as a matter of urgency establish The National Commission for Persons with disabilities in line with Part VI, Section 31(1) of the Disability Act. Call on the National Assembly to consider electoral reforms in line with section 30(1) of Disability Act. Amend to reflect the peculiar needs of persons with disabilities in the electoral process.
She concluded by informing the government that PWDs have great expectation that they will finish what they started in January by constituting a commission to oversee the implementation of the act. She specially thanked National Democratic Institute (NDI) for their technical support, USAID and UKAID for their financial support and not leaving out SAVE the Children for supporting the event.
The event was witnessed music performance by Blind & Deaf Children’s Choir, drama for Deaf drama group where they dramatized how the feeling will be like when the disability commission is finally established by Mr. President.
The event also witnessed panel discussion on “PWDs in the world of unemployment” Implementing the 5% employment quota for PWDs in MDAs towards the sustainable development goals. After a presentation and insight on the topic by Jide Ojo, Executive Director, OJA Development Consults, the panelists were set up and the discussants were Barr. Melody Omosah(a blind)-President, Network for the Advancement of people with Visible Disabilities(NAPVID), Jake Epelle(a person with albinism)-The Chief Executive Officer, The Albino Foundation, Daniel Onwe(a person with physical disability) -Lead Partner, Daniel and Sophina, Patience Dickson( a person with physical disability) -Executive Director, Advocacy for Women with Disabilities Initiative, and Catherine Edeh Nnadi(a deaf) -Vice President, Association of Lawyers with disabilities in Nigeria(ALDIN). Ben Aga-Senior Program Manager, National Democratic Institute (NDI) moderated the session and the panelists took time to explain the problems, proffer solutions and also narrated what they have done in the past towards addressing the challenges imposed on PWDs by unemployment. It was interactive, many PWDs asked questions while some made contributions to the topic.
The highlight of the event was the presentation of award to some individuals who have contributed in no small measure to the success of the Access Nigeria Project. The award is described as Access Nigeria Leadership Award for Promoting Inclusion. The recipients of the awards were Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, INEC Chairman, Dr. Adekunle Ogunmola, INEC National Commissioner, Hajj. Amina Zakari, INEC National Commissioner, Prof. Antonia SImbine, INEC National Commissioner, Bello Lankunya, Deputy Director CSOs/PWDs, INEC, Sen. I.D Gyang, Vice Chair, Senate Committee on Defence and Barr. Melody Omosah, President Network for the Advancement of People with Visible Disabilities (NAPVID), the inventor of braille ballot guide that the blind is now using to vote.
SOME OF THE PICTURES OF THE EVENT
