Ahead of the inauguration on the 29th of May, TAF Africa tasked the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, and other elected individuals to dedicate 10 percent of ministerial and Special Advisers, Special Advisers, appointments to persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the spirit of national unity and inclusion.
The CEO/Founder of TAF Africa, Amb. Jake Epelle, made this demand during a Stakeholders’ Strategic Roundtable on the Able to Serve Campaign, themed, “Disability Inclusion in the Appointment of Cabinet Members: A Call for Inclusive Governance”.
Amb. Epelle further stated that there is nothing wrong with the president-elect appointing PWDs into his cabinet because they have a major stake in the development of Nigeria. He emphasized that in the spirit of inclusivity, the appointments will add value and give a sense of belonging to PWDs, adding that they have a huge but untapped potential, skills, and perspectives needed to impact positively in the decision-making process and good governance, hence the agitation for appointments.
He further explained that the strategic roundtable was basically organized to create awareness and get the commitment of the various political parties to driving disability inclusion in the appointment of cabinet members within the incoming government.
According to him, “If you truly want to run a government of national unity, then that government should be inclusive of all irrespective of gender, disability status, religion, and do whatever that needs to be done so that everyone will sit on the table, which is the way forward.”
Dr. Chike Okogwu, Founder of, the Center for Ability, Rehabilitation, and Empowerment (CARE Nigeria) stressed that it is a matter of right for PWDs to demand political appointments.
According to him, “There is an Act prohibiting discrimination against persons with disabilities. It says at least five percent of persons with disabilities should be given employment. it is a five percent minimum, but we are saying we want 10 percent.
“Take me for example, I’m only physically impaired, I’m not disabled in any manner and there are lots of us like that. we are bringing capacity, competence, courage, and everything that makes us excel. You are giving us as a matter of right, but do not look at us only from the prism of disabilities, look beyond what we represent. A lot of us are well educated, a lot of us are intellectuals, we have what it takes to do what you want”, he added.
At the end of the roundtable, the different disability clusters present made their demands to the elected individuals from various political parties through a communique that was signed and issued.
ADVANCING GOVERNANCE THROUGH THE POLITICAL PARTICIPATION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
As the call for disability inclusion grows for a more democratic and progressive government, development experts and disability inclusion advocates have explained why people with