Disability Community Writes Open Letter To President Buhari

By Adaku B. Kalu

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Below is the full text of the letter by the Nigerian-Americans with Disabilities living in the United State, addressed to the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, dated March 5, 2023, calling for the immediate resignation of Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management & Social Development & Mr. James Lalu, Executive Secretary, National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) or be fired.

We the Nigerian-Americans with Disabilities living in the United States and members of our Disabled Peoples Organizations (DPOs), who we represent, wish to humbly DEMAND for the immediate resignation of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq and the Executive Secretary, National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD), Mr. James Lalu or be relieved of their appointments as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Executive Secretary of NCPD respectively by the Presidency.

Your Excellency, we are collectively making this urgent DEMAND due to the plethora of serious, valid and verifiable, complex constitutional, civil, human and disability rights violations, which the minister knowingly conspired with a few others to commit against the interest of over 35 million Nigerians with Disabilities, which include, the Almajiris, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), wounded Nigerian Military Veterans, Police, ICPC, DSS, EFCC, Customs, Civil Defense Corps, retired civil servants and business men/women, who are suffering from age related disabilities and every Nigerian family. These seemingly blatant infractions, we believe, are akin to crimes against humanity and the ongoing Nigeria’s insecurity, terrorism, kidnapping, and irreconcilable differences.

Please Sir, bear with us for submitting this Emergency Demand… through, The Chairman, Transition Council, Signed Executive ORDER No. 14, 2023, and also, through the United Nations, Secretary-General/Deputy Secretary-General, United States Secretary of State, United States Congressional Black Caucus and the United States congressmen/women. We did so because the United States Government has direct interest in Nigeria’s lingering security challenges, which include terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, IDPs, irreconcilable community disputes, massive migrations and overcrowded slums that have haplessly become worse than ever. Moreover, a number of scandalous corrupt practices and fraudulent activities that have been reported, especially within the NCPD, an agency under the supervision of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, which is presided over by Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq, is part of this narrative, as far as we and the community we represent, are concerned.

When the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018, was assented to and signed into law by His Excellency, President Muhammadu on January 23, 2019, he made huge historic legacy for himself, his administration, his family, his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), as well as over 35 million Nigerians with Disabilities. In response to our multiple requests and petitions made through Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities International, Inc (ERPWDI), led by Chief Ndubueze Ufom, Kpakpando Foundation, led by the Distinguished Senator Osita Izunaso and JONAPWD-National, led by Miss Omotunde Ellen Thompson (BoT Chairperson), Mr. President assented to the Act, and subsequently established its independent, implementation body, the NCPD, on August 24, 2020, as the 8th National Assembly mandated.

Recall that as soon as, His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari, was sworn into office, he started emphasizing that he inherited volumes of serious, complex unaddressed problem of corruption and mismanagement of Nigerian taxpayers funds and other fraudulent practices within the system emanating from the previous administrations of His Excellency, President Goodluck Jonathan, Late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua and His Excellency, President Olusegun Obasanjo, all under the flagship of the same party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

From all indications, it seems like those same kinds of bad, endemic and deep-rooted vicious cycle syndrome are about to repeat itself, whereby the incoming President-elect in the February 25, 2023 Presidential election, Bola Tinubu of the APC, shall be inheriting, known and recognized massive corrupt practices, frauds and mismanagement of public funds that are well documented by the Auditor-General of the Federation of Nigeria, National Assembly, and others.

Against this backdrop, we are particularly concerned and troubled by the blatant atrocities which Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq and Mr. James Lalu, knowingly connived with each other to commit; and thereafter, conspired to block investigations in order to conceal and cover up facts.

·     It sad and unfortunate to let you know Sir, that Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq, knowingly conspired with Mr. James Lalu, and a few others, to completely destroy the aforementioned best historic legacy by you and your administration.

·     Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq, knowingly conspired with Mr. James Lalu and a few others, to refuse implementing the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and Disability Inclusive Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 2030 Agenda.

·     Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq, who knowingly or deliberately and intelligently conspired with Mr. James Lalu to refuse implementing the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 2030 Agenda, as Mandated by both the Nigerian National Assembly and UN Member States, angered the entire Nigerians with Disabilities and their leaders.

·      Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq, who knowingly or deliberately and intelligently conspired with Mr. James Lalu, to refuse six Governing Council members of the NCPD from performing their Community-based, Grassroots fiduciary duties, at the six geographic zone of Nigeria, as mandated by the Constitution of Nigeria and Nigerians with Disabilities Act, 2018.

·     Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq, who knowingly or deliberately and intelligently conspired with Mr. James Lalu, to exclude the ENTIRE Diasporas and Notational pioneers’ leaders with disabilities, who for over 25 years were the actual people, who successfully advocated for Disability Policy Changes in Nigeria from continuing with the excellent jobs on advancing for their implementations, which includes, the Nigerian Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018 and its independent implementation body.

·     Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq, who knowingly or deliberately and intelligently conspired with Mr. James Lalu to deny Nigerians with Disabilities their entitled Palliatives and other services, during COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing Post COVID-19 Economic Recovery.

In collaborations with ERPWDI, we demanded from the Auditor General of Nigeria to conduct forensic Audit of the NCPD and their final audit reports confirmed that Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq, actually, knowingly, conspired with Mr. James Lalu and a few others to commit the alleged acts of fraud and corruption. Please Sir, see the attached letters, which shall help to track down those 2020-2022 Forensic Audit Reports.

Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq, thereafter, knowingly conspired with Mr. James Lalu and a few others, to stonewall investigation of the above, object justice, conceal and cover up facts surrounding 2020-2022 official reports of the Auditor General of the Federation’s forensic audit of NCPD. They both conspired with few others, to grossly violate the aforementioned audit by the Auditor General of the Federation.

The 8th National Assembly invoked their constitutional powers to Implement the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and its Optional Protocol signed and ratified by Nigeria on March 30, 2007 and September 24, 2010, to enact, and pass into law, Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018. They did so pursuant to Nigeria’s Obligations under the UN Charter and its Treaty Agreement signed and ratified on October 7, 1960.

The Nigerians with Disabilities Act, 2018, mandated that NCPD shall be an independent Implementation Commission. The 8th National Assembly did not include in the Disabilities Act that for the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development and Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq, to take over the day-to-day running or managing of the NCPD.

On August 11, 2021, the Attorney General of the Federation of Nigeria and Minister for Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami replied to the Chairman, NCPD “Request for the interpretation of some sections of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018 and your intervention in the Affairs of the Commission thereof,” dated, February 25, 2021. “3. Summary of findings regarding the claim that by virtue of the Act the Chairman and members of the Governing Council are to function as an Executive Council: a. The Act did not confer the role of CEO of the Commission on the Chairman of the Governing Council or any specific function in the running of the daily activities of the Commission. Rather it is the Governing Council that is responsible for “conducting the affairs of the Commission” including entering into contracts and managing its funds.” Emphasis added.

The Attorney General’s official reply became valid evidence showing that Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq and Mr. James Lalu, knowingly conspired with each other to break the laws, which the Auditor-General of the Federation uncovered in the report.

Objective(s) of the Forensic audit are:

i. To provide the intended user(s) with information on whether the audited public entity follows parliamentary decisions, laws, legislative acts, policies, established codes, and agreed upon terms.

ii. To conduct the exercise with the objective of issuing a compliance audit report.

iii. To comply with ethical requirements, plan and perform the check to obtain reasonable or limited assurance about whether the identified subject matter is/is not, in all material respects, in compliance with relevant standards.

On June 17, 2021, ERPWDI wrote: “Request to Conduct Forensic Audit Pursuant to Sections 37 (ab) and 48-50 of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018,” to the Auditor General of the Federation, which was copied to us, as a member of their network. Notably, On June 8, 2021, the Auditor-General replied through, OAuAGF/LoU/NCPD/2020/02, and ORDERED for a, “Forensic Audit of NCPD from inception — December, 2020.”

The outcome of the aforementioned Forensic Audit report of the NCPD showed that massive corruption, frauds and mismanagement of funds has occurred with the National Commission under the leadership of Mr. James Lalu, Executive Secretary and Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.

To make matters worse, Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq, knowingly conspired with Mr. James Lalu and a few others, to start massive persecutions, retaliations, representations, unnecessary harassment, discrimination, marginalization, exclusions from, meeting, training, conferences, seminars, programmes and services, against any person who is directly/indirectly associated with the network of ERPWDI and dare to speak the truth, especially, our Nigerian Journalists who speak up about the Truth and publish true valid and verifiable stories, on Disabilities matters.

Therefore, in the light of the aforementioned valid assemblage of facts Your Excellency, we humbly and respectfully ask you to grant our request calling for the resignation of Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development and Mr. James Lalu, Executive Secretary of NCPD or alternatively, both be fired urgently by the Presidency.

Adaku B. Kalu is the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Good Shepherd Initiative Inc.

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