The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, has asked the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, to consider recruiting persons with disability into the Force as recently done by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
She gave the charge at Force headquarters in Abuja Thursday during the launch of the Nigeria Police Special Desk for Persons with Disabilities.
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Farouq, represented by the permanent secretary in the ministry, Bashir Nura Alkali, said people with disabilities have the innate capacity to overcome their limitations and perform excellently when given the opportunity and the right environment.
She said: “Gone are the days when persons with disabilities are rendered to the background without the necessary concerns to their human dignity.
“Accordingly, in fulfilment of the directive of His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari to MDAs to ensure the inclusion of PWDs into all their programmes and projects, especially in the area of employment, may I, in this regard, respectfully bring to the attention of the IGP the need to include PWDs in future police recruitment exercises in fulfilment of Sections 28 and 29 of the Discrimination against PWDs Act 2018”.
Responding, the IGP said persons with disabilities might be different in a kind, but are “certainly equal to us all.”
He added: “By law and global protocols, they deserve to be treated with respect and dignity and must be accorded due services without being discriminated against in any way.
“The NPF Special Desk for the persons with disabilities (PWD), therefore, is an advocacy desk to give effect to this noble cause to enable the Force avail persons with disabilities unfettered access to police services, promote the dignity of their person, discourage stigmatization and stereotyping, and give full effect to the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (prohibition) Act 2018.”
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