by Yusuf Mohammed Lawan, Gombe, 17th October, 2024.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, Hon. Mohammed Abba Isa has reiterated his continued commitment to advocating for the inclusion of PWDs in all aspects of societal life.
Hon. Abba made the charge during a homage to the Emir of Bauchi's palace Tuesday when he lead members of Nigerian Association of the Blind (NAB) to the top monarch palace as part of schedules to commemorate the 2024 International White Cane Day in Bauchi state.
Speaking at the instance of the monarch, the senior presidential aide emphasized the urgent need for all government officials and traditional rulers to advocate for the inclusion of PWDs in Nigeria, stressing that the rights and privileges of persons with disabilities must be protected in order to ensure their accessibility in all aspects social life without any form of discrimination whatsoever.
While briefing the Emir of Bauchi on the celebration of the International White Cane Day he hosted in Bauchi state and which was held in collaboration with Nigeria Association of the Blind (NAB ), being a day reserved exclusively by the United Nations to celebrate achievements and champion success stories recorded by the Blind population, the Senior presidential aide highlighted the urgent need for collective action by all well-meaning patriotic citizens of Nigeria to prioritize matching words with action to make life more meaningful, inclusive and accessible to the blind community and other PWDs in Nigeria.
The event featured an early morning road walk aimed at raising awareness about the significance of the white cane in promoting the independence and mobility of the blind, it was capped with an evening get together by various policy makers traditional rulers, politician of note, members of the blind community from different states and other PWDs who graced the occasion as a means of solidarity with the blind community.
Responding, the Emir of Bauchi Alh. Dr. Rilwanu Sulaiman Adamu CFR, expressed immense gratittude to the SSAP for his supportive role to see to the success of the event, appreciating the SSAP for believing in Bauchi state to host the celebration, the monarch also expressed happiness with the success of the celebration and assures his commitment to supporting future initiatives for PWDs.
In the evening section of the celebration, various speakers including the wife of secretary to Bauchi state government, District Head of Miri, Alh. Usaini Usman Abubakar, National President of NAB Mr. Stanley Onyebuchi, all expressed appreciation to the SSAP Abba Isa for being a champion of the PWDs.
Earlier, the SSAP has during the course of the visit to Emir's palace expressed deep gratitude to the Emir and the Bauchi State Government for their ongoing support of disability-related programs and their commendable disability-friendly policies in the state. The visit underscores the importance of collaboration between traditional institutions and the Federal Government in advancing the welfare and rights of PWDs in the region in line with the president Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda, Ability News Network reports
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