Former Provost Federal College of Education (Special) Nigeria, Professor Taoheed Adedoja

By Rasaq Bamidele

Abuja, Nigeria. Dec. 3, 2017 (AltAfrika)-As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark the International Day for persons with disability today (Sunday December 3 2017), a former Provost of Federal College of Education (Special Education), Oyo,  south-west Nigeria, Professor Taoheed Adedoja has urged the National Assembly to fast track the passage of the  two bills on Persons With Disability (PWD ) before it.

The Don, who is one of the leading aspirants to the National Chairmanship seat of the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), made the plea when representatives of the Coalition of Persons with Disability of Nigeria visited him in Abuja

Prof Adedoja is convinced that accelerated passage of the two bills on disability matters will demonstrate Nigeria’s seriousness on international best practices on meeting the basic  needs of the 27 million disabled persons in Nigeria.

The National Co-ordinator of the Group, Mr. Ezekiel Olatunde said Professor Taoheed Adedoja was the only PDP Chairmanship aspirant who had shown commitment to the welfare of disabled persons in Nigeria going by his antecedents and most importantly as the grand patron of the organisation for disabled persons in the last 23 years.

The group described Prof Adedoja as a man of integrity, with non-controversial personality in the affairs of the PDP, the hitherto biggest political platform on the continent of Africa.

In his response, Prof Adedoja, a former minister and former provost of the federal college of Education, Special Oyo, gave commendation to the Constitution Committee of PDP for recognizing persons with disability (PWD) as major stakeholders in the affairs of the party in the proposed amended constitution of the party.

The proposed amendment, according to him, will provide the needed shade and umbrella for the needs and aspirations of persons with disability (PWD) in Nigeria in line with their counterparts all over the world.

He pointed out that the survival of Nigeria as a country can only be guaranteed with the provision of equal opportunities for all its citizens irrespective of gender, social status or disability.