National Disability Summit 2022: Religious And Traditional Leaders To Advocate Inclusion, Protection Of PWDs
The Albino Foundation Public Notice
The Executive Secretary, National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, NCPWD, Mr James Lalu, has reinstated the determination of the commission to ensure that traditional and religious institutions are inclusive of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), this he said will foster inclusive development and wellbeing of PWDs in Nigeria.
Mr. Lalu made the statement at the National Disability Summit 2022 on Disability Inclusion for Religious and Traditional Leaders in Nigeria.
According to him, traditional and religious leaders must create room for adoption and appointment of PWDs into various level of traditional and religious institutions, and ensure that PWDs are adequately represented in traditional and religious organizations.
Mr. Lalu stressed that it is time for PWDs to be recognized as clergymen and incorporated in cabinets of traditional institutions to boost disability inclusion and policy formulation.
The Executive Secretary said that PWDs want to make heaven same as everyone. Therefore, preaching and programs of religious institutions should be addressed to PWDs in mind , and that the issue of inclusion and accessibility should be included in the teaching and programs of the churches and mosques.
In his remarks, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, assured the commission and PWDs of his commitment to work with the commission and PWDs towards achieving their goals of inclusion in the society.
He pledged to facilitate the implementation of the PWDs law in Nigeria.
Also, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Bishop Daniel okoh, assured the commission of full support in implementing the disability law.
The Country Coordinator for Sight Savers, Esther Bature, urged the traditional and religious leaders to support in PWDs in advocating for full domestication and implementation the disability law in all states of the federation.
The various persons and groups in their goodwill messages commended the Executive Secretary for the gallant achievements at repositioning the status, functionality, efficiency and selfless management of the affairs and the mandate of the commission in spite constraints that comes with the job.
