Group seeks passage of Disability Bill in Gombe
The Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), has appealed to both the Gombe State House of Assembly and the State Government to pass the Disability Bill to protect its members’ welfare in the state.
Members of the group made the call in separate interviews with Our Correspondent in Gombe on Thursday.
The call was made on the sideline of a one-day symposium to commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in the state.
Mr Bala Zanna, the vice chairman of JONAPWD in the state said the non passage of Disability Bill in the state had made living difficult for its members.
Zanna said “just imagine the pain of accessing government buildings and other storey buildings in the state without ramp, also having our members being excluded from accessing social amenities.
“It is really painful and these challenges of our members would have been taken care of if the Bill is passed. ”
He stated that the call became imperative to ensure inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in all sectors of human existence especially in education, health and other sectors.
“We want the Bill passed in Gombe State just as the Federal Government had done as this will help protect PWDs and also give International donors confidence to come and help our members.”
Zanna commended USAID State2State project for helping to “advocate and amplify our voices towards the improvement of the wellbeing of PWDs and now we are seeing positive changes.”
For Tabitha Dauda, a visually-impaired person said “ history will be kind to any government that will pass the Disability Bill in Gombe State.”
Dauda said the issue of exclusion and stigmatisation would be better addressed with the Bill being passed, hence the appeal to better protect PWDs in Gombe State.
Alheri Nuhu, a hearing-impaired participant who spoke through an interpreter said in 2019, the state government had promised to pass the Bill but “we are yet to see that happen.”
Nuhu stated that PWDs were being “relegated” especially for hearing-impaired person, “we find it difficult to communicate our pains when we go to hospitals because of lack of interpreters.
“We face similar challenge in banks; they just ignore us because of the communication gap.
“It is really hard but good to know that USAID is now helping us so I am confident all these will change soon.”
Nuhu appealed to the state government to work towards passing the Bill in the state to give PWDS the opportunities to achieve their dreams and overcome discrimination against them.
“The bill has been sent to the State House of Assembly since 2019 but we don’t know the fate and whereabouts of the bill now,” she said.
Mr Yakubu Ahmed, the Senior Special Assistant to Gov Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State said no administration had shown the kind of concern for PWDs like the present administration in the state.
Ahmed who is physically-challenged said “this is the first time a governor in the state will appoint an aide to see to the welfare of PWDs in the state.”
He said PWDs were being carried along especially with the recent recruitment of all PWDs that applied for the state government teaching jobs and budgetary allocations to carter for PWDs.
According to Ahmed, Gov Yahaya is concerned about the welfare of PWDs.
“The governor had told me that once the Bill is passed at the House of Assembly and sent to him, he would not hesitate to assent it; he loves PWDs in the state that I can boldly say,”.
Our Correspondent reports that the event which had 40 participants was organised by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through its state Accountability, Transparency and Effectiveness (State2State) Activity.
The International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) is held on December 3 annually.
The theme for this year’s commemoration is ‘Transformative solutions for inclusive development: the role of innovation in fuelling an accessible and equitable world’.
