… FCTA Reinstates Commitment to PLWD Inclusion
By Joyce Remi- Babayeju
The FCT Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike has approved the FCT Disabilities Policy and Desk for the promotion of the rights and welfare of People living with disabilities ( PLWDs) in the Federal Capital Territory.
Furthermore, this is as the Federal Capital Territory Administration FCTA) reinstated commitment towards the inclusion of Persons Living With Disabilities PLWDs) contained in the FCT Disabilities Policy Document on the protection of their rights and welfare.
The Mandate, FCT Women Affairs Secretariat, Dr. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi made this known during a courtesy visit by the FCT CHAPTER of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) to her office in Abuja.
Benjamins-Laniyi said that approval by the minister to set up a Disability Desk Unit in the Secretariat, headed by a PWD, is a testament to the commitment of the administration to ensuring that the rights of the PLWD community are protected.
“You may wish to recall that the implementation of the Disability Act and Policy within the FCT is a collaboration with the World Bank and signed by the minister himself. The Women Affairs Secretariat is only there to coordinate the process,” she said.
According to the Mandate Secretary, the slogan “Nothing about you without you” motivated the setting up of the Disability Desk as an institution meant to be replicated in every secretariat, department, and agency in the FCT.
According to her, the expectation is that in the near future there will be an FCT Disability Agency with the kind approval of the FCT Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike, whose passion for inclusion is undoubted.
Aside from the approval for the Disability Desk Officer in the Secretariat, the FCT Minister is the first in the history of Nigeria to approve that a day, December 10th of every year, is set aside to celebrate and discuss the challenges of the adolescent girl child.
Benjamins-Laniyi further called on relevant partners and stakeholders to work towards removing barriers that hinder the full participation of people living with disabilities.
Meanwhile, the Acting Chairman of JONAPWD, Mr. Ayoade Beyioku Alase, commended the FCT Administration for its deliberate effort and strong advocacy for the PWD community and First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu for the recent empowerment of 250 PWDs with the sum of 200 thousand naira each.
However, he appealed for the urgent establishment of the proposed FCT Agency for Persons With Disabilities, noting that 25 states in Nigeria have domesticated the Disability Act, including the North Central region, but the FCT remains the only entity yet to establish its own agency.
Mr. Alase appealed that areas of priority for the disability community include free health insurance and disability-friendly services in the hospitals, employment equity, and social protection and empowerment.
Other areas are operational support for the JONAPWD FCT Chapter and inclusion of data and infrastructure that will ensure that all public facilities are accessible to PWDs, he added.
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