Olujie extols Taribo’s roles in successful passage of disability bill
House of Assembly Candidate, Ukwa East, under the flagship of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Chidi Topaz Olujie has revealed how Honourable Paul Taribo presented him the Disability Bill as birthday gift after the bill scaled 2nd reading at the Abia State House of Assembly in 2020.
Now, two years later, INN reports that Abia State House of Assembly had finally passed the Disability Bill into law on Wednesday, August 31, 2022.
The Bill, termed: ” The Abia State Commission for Disabled Persons Law” by Speaker of the House, Rt Chinedum Orji, was sponsored by Mr. Paul Taribo, Deputy Majority Leader, representing Ukwa East constituency upon request by Hon. Chidi Topaz Olujie, National President, Nigerian National Association of the Deaf (NNAD).
Hon Chidi Topaz Olujie made this known in a statement he shared through his spokesman shortly after announcement of passage of the bill by Speaker of the House.
According to Olujie: “Having our Disability Bill passed into law on Wednesday 31st August, 2022 is a thing of great joy. It takes us down memory lane when Hon. Chidi Topaz Olujie came out to contest for the House of Assembly; one of his aims was to ensure the passage of the Abia State Disability Bill in the State House of Assembly. This was driven by his undying love for his People and the Disability community at large”.
“It happened sometime in 2019 that both Hon. Paul Taribo and Hon. Chidi Olujie met and they both spent good time discussing the way forward. During the discussion, Hon. Chidi appealed with a special request to ensure passage of the Abia State Disability Bill into law”.
He noted that “As a matter of necessity and urgency, Hon. Taribo promised to fulfill that one request. He asked Hon. Chidi to compile and submit the Bill stating areas of utmost attention. The bill (sample) was submitted, and He (Hon Taribo) sponsored the same in fulfillment of his promise”.
Still on memory lane, it was recalled that at Hon. Chidi’s 2020 birthday celebrations which included the 2020 Ukwa East Youth Empowerment project (sponsored by Dr. Chidi), Mr. Taribo was present during the celebrations where he presented a file containing a copy of the Abia State Disability Bill as birthday gift to Chidi. The Bill had by then scaled 2nd reading in the Abia State House of Assembly (see photos).
Chidi was however quick to point out how the Abia PWDs community and their backers within and outside the Government joined in the struggle to ensure passage of the bill came to fruition.
He said: “The Disability Bill has been one of the main talk of the Disability community for years as they struggled for their demands to see the light of day. In recent times, different set of individuals with Disabilities, Disabled Organizations, and other Advocacy Agencies, including the Abia State First Lady have been urging the House of Assembly to pass the Bill into law.
“Fast forward to this day, the bill got passed into law and Hon Taribo, as usual, reached out to inform Hon. Chidi of the great feat.
“This calls for a great celebrations among Abians and Nigerians, generally” the statement concluded.