PWDs Advocate for Senate Disability Committee Amid Budget Concerns

• Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) appeal to Senate President Akpabio for the establishment of a dedicated Senate Committee on Disability
• The ADIE Forum emphasizes the importance of addressing PWDs’ needs, proposing VAT reduction and safeguards in emergency economic palliatives

A collective of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), represented by the Accelerate Disability Inclusion in Emergencies (ADIE) Forum, is urging Senate President Godswill Akpabio to establish a dedicated Senate Committee on Disability, mirroring its counterpart in the House of Representatives.

This appeal was made during a meeting convened by the ADIE Forum and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in Abuja, where the impact of the 2024 budget and fuel subsidy removal on PWDs was discussed.

Mr. Christian Agbo, co-chairperson of ADIE, emphasized the necessity for the Senate to have a committee dedicated to disability issues, akin to the House of Representatives.

He stated, “The House of Representatives has a standing committee on disability; it is important for the Senate to have a committee on disability too to cater for the interest of millions of PWDs in the country.”

Responding to this plea, Dr. Bashiru Dawodu, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Disability, pledged that the House committee would engage with Senate President Akpabio to advocate for establishing a Senate Committee on Disability. Dawodu stressed the significance of addressing the needs of millions of PWDs, highlighting the House’s proactive step in forming a dedicated committee.

In a joint statement, the meeting participants urged the federal government to reconsider the Value Added Tax (VAT), proposing a reduction from 7.5% to 5% by the end of 2023. They also called for a halt in further tax, tariff, and duty increases, advocating for a one-year moratorium to enhance the purchasing power of Nigerians, particularly PWDs.

The resolution, signed by various stakeholders, including Christian Agbo and Grace Jerry of ADIE, also commended Hon. Bashiru Dawodu for his motion in the House of Representatives. The motion mandated the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to afford special status for PWDs in all their programs, including the planned conditional cash transfer of N1 trillion to 15 million households.

While expressing concern about the upcoming holidays, the forum urged the government inclusion of specific safeguards for PWDs in emergency economic palliatives for the festive season and in the 2024 budgets. They called on the National Assembly to ensure that the recommendations presented in their position paper are incorporated into the ongoing deliberations on the 2024 appropriation bill.