By Lanre Oloyede
Newly appointed Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Disability Matters, Hon. Mohammed Abba Isa, has expressed his heartfelt gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for honouring him with the appointment as SSA.
Hon. Abba Isa, who equally thanked the President’s son, Seyi Tinubu, for the role he played in advocating for disability inclusion, promised to make the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President work for people with disabilities in Nigeria.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Disability Matters, stated this Wednesday at a press conference organized to specifically thanked all stakeholders who contributed in making the appointment a reality and also used the occasion to reel out his mandate to be discharged in his new office.
I wish to express my deepest gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the honor of my appointment as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Disability Special Needs and Equal Opportunities. This rare privilege to serve and deliver impactful change to my community is not just an individual honor but also a remarkable demonstration of the President’s commitment to inclusivity, and | extend my heartfelt appreciation to his esteemed self.
“| would also like to express my gratitude to the energetic, purposeful and people oriented – Mr. Seyi Tinubu, for being a selfless and notable voice for people with disabilities. His stand for disability representation and participation is commendable and has brought about unprecedented success in equitable representation particularly for people with disabilities. | look forward to more collaborative efforts with him in championing the cause of disability inclusion.
“Indeed, my appointment is a powerful acknowledgment of the abilities and potentials of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and proof of the administration’s dedication to ensuring that all seqments of society are active participants in the nation’s progress. Thankfully Mr. President has a special knack for spotting talents and rewarding hard work, and indeed that occasions why | am on this role today,” the statement read in parts.
In reeling out his agenda for the Specially Needy and Persons with Disabilities, Hon. Abba Isa said:
” I will ensure the conduct of impact assessment of all intervention for persons with disabilities so far, determine their needs assessment and generally a situation analysis in all sectors in order to properly align interventions with the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“In conjunction with the NCPWD and in yielding to the aspiration of our people, | will initiate and put mechanisms in place for the amendment of the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018 to compliance fully with the United Nation Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and to remedy the various defects in the law. This will introduce international best practice and standards as we seek to implement the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“In conjunction with the NCPWD i will liaise with the Ministry of Transport to immediately put in place the process of formulating policies on transportation for persons with disabilities as movement is crucial and the fulcrum for participation.
” I will immediately engage and work with all heads of ministries, departments and agencies to ensure the Setting up of disability desk officers in their agencies and formulation of inclusive policies and enabling environment for persons with disabilities.
” I will engage all the governors and authorities in the States to ensure the establishment and implementation of legislative framework, policies, plans and programmes to foster disability inclusion, participation and development.
” I will immediately engage the various authorities responsible for federal government palliative initiatives to include people with disabilities, particularly to ensure the setting aside of quota for them. | will immediately engage the humanitarian and poverty alleviation agency for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in order to temporarily grant them reliefs and ultimately to pull them out of poverty.
” I will partner with development agencies to build the capacity of people with disabilities on job readiness, social integration and also work with employers of labour to ensure gainful employment for our teeming unemployed individuals.”
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