It’s worthy to note that PWDs all over the world celebrate International Day of Persons with Disabilities every 3rd of December annually with the aim of increasing public awareness, understanding and accepting people with disability and celebrating their achievements and contributions.
In Gombe State, it’s not exception. Every 3rd day of December, the (Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities Gombe State Branch) rally from their Association office to the government House to address their challenges, yearning and aspirations as well as demand for full inclusion and acceptance in the government and the society at large.
However, it’s unfortunate that since the return of democratic rule, historically, there is no executive Governor of Gombe State that interacted, welcomed and addressed PWDs himself except His Excellency, Alh.Mohammadu Inuwa Yahaya. The former Governors would either send their Deputy to address us or tell the Commissioner of Women Affairs to bring food items to our Joint Association’s office, address us there and attempt to stop us from going to the Government House to parley with the Governor and give him first-hand information about the Challenges and difficulties we face.
Ladies and Gentlemen, permit me to say that His Excellency Governor Inuwa Yahaya is truly different. He not only interacted with us but showed us no kind of discrimination.
Even though that day he has a meeting with the Nigerian Telecommunications Commission (NCC) as many of us saw NCC bus parked at the government House, but his Excellency valued us by excusing the NCC/Stakeholders during the meeting to come out and listen to us despite his tight schedule. Normally other Governors would have sent a representative to address us. Governor Inuwa not only welcome us warmly, but shook hands with many of us and patiently listened to us under the hot sun for almost 30 minutes. He listened to all we had to say, and to my surprise, His Excellency promised not only to have Disability Rights Bill signed and assented by the federal government to the state Assembly but also to establish an agency for Persons with Disability to cater for their welfare.
I personally served at Bauchi State Agency for persons with disabilities and I must admit that I envy the good people of Bauchi State for having an agency that will always address their challenges directly to the Governor and wished my state too would have its own and alhamdulillahi His Excellency promised to do the needful.
The Agency if established, will go a long way to address the challenges, yearning and aspirations of PWDs and promote the rights and welfare of all PWDs from the state.
This is something we need instead of distribution of only food stuff as a mark of International Disability Day celebration which is a clear reflection of charity model which view people with disabilities as an object of charity.
His Excellency,Governor Inuwa has shown that he has a vision for PWDs and one of his vision is to establish an agency that will continue to address their challenges directly to him. This is really commendable and worthy of emulation.