The Executive Secretary, National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Dr. James David Lalu has applauded the efforts of the Nigerian Red Cross Society for taking humanitarian works to the suburbs of the Nation despite the difficulties involved.
He gave this commendation while receiving the Federal Capital Territory arm of the Nigerian Red Cross Society recently in his Raph Shodeinde office, Abuja.
The pioneer Executive Secretary of the Commission expressed gratitude to the selfless organization that was established in Nigeria since 1960 by an Act of the Nigerian parliament.
Lalu recounted his first experience with the Red Cross during one of the Jos crises in Plateau State many years ago.
He further demonstrated his passion and promptness by directing the appropriate Department of the Commission in charge of Assistive Devices to immediately provide the available assistive devices to the group.
Some of the items handed over to the Red Cross include-: Talking calculator for the Blind, Alarm clock, a sample of side crutches with a promise to supply other items on request as soon as the next procurement of assistive devices is done.
In addition, the Executive Secretary advised the organization to focus more on the rural communities where the people with less access to help need more attention.
He also stated that most victims in the Cities have access to various channels of survival as well as Donors, unlike the less privileged in the primitive areas.
He, therefore, promises stronger ties with the association and reiterated the Commission’s total commitments to their course for the benefit of humanity, especially persons with Disabilities and the susceptible.
The Leader of the delegation, Mr. Simeon Nwaubani appreciated the Executive Secretary for being one of the champions in humanitarian works.
“I am very proud of your antecedents at the Commission, bringing innovative ideas in the problem-solving process for the disability community” he said.
Nwaubani gave a brief history of how the Red Cross Society was founded in Nigeria. He also disclosed that the British International Red Cross Society responsible for disaster management was central to the birth of the society in Nigeria during the first world war as they gave helping hands to victims of the war.
He added that the Nigerian branch of the humanitarian organization carried out its first assignment when Adamu Orisha had a stage play in Lagos in 1917 in order to raise funds to provide relief for soldiers who lost parts of their bodies or died after the first world war.
According to him, those set of brave men had become Persons with Disabilities, while some lost their lives with their families left behind to be catered for.
Nwaubani had earlier presented a list of requests of assistive devices to include: wheel chairs, Tricycles, Eye glasses, Hearing aid, Guide/White cane for Persons with Disabilities and victims of disasters within the communities in the Federal Capital Territory.
The Group’s spokesperson of the Nigerian Red Cross also stated that humanitarian works can be very tasking and needs a collective effort to bring reliefs to victims of circumstances irrespective of their status.
He, therefore, seized the occasion to seek stronger collaboration with the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities in order to achieve more success in its mission in the Federal Capital Territory.
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