FOUR YEARS OF THE CROSS-RIVER STATE DISABILITY RIGHTS LAW (No. 11 of 2021): REFLECTIONS, GRATITUDE, AND A CALL TO ACTION
Today, 31 December 2025, marks the 4th anniversary of the Cross River State Disability Rights Law No. 11 of 2021—a landmark legislation that stands as one of the most significant achievements in the struggle for the recognition, protection, and promotion of the rights of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Cross River State.
As one of the chief drivers and brain behind the movement that led to the drafting, lobbying, and eventual passage of this law, I reflect today with deep gratitude, sober realism, and renewed advocacy.
Remembering a Visionary Trailblazer
First and foremost, I remain eternally grateful to our visionary, trailblazer, and indefatigable leader, the late Hon. Livinus Okpa (popularly known as “Incumbent”). His love for PWDs in Cross River State, his listening ears, political courage, and personal sacrifices laid the moral and strategic foundation for this law. Sadly, he did not live to reap the rewards of his immense sacrifices. History, however, will forever remember him as one of the true architects of disability rights advancement in Cross River State.
Collective Effort Behind the Law
The success of the CRS Disability Rights Law was not an accident; it was the product of collective thinking, sacrifice, and collaboration. At the instance of Hon. Incumbent, an ad hoc committee was constituted and led by me to brainstorm, research, and produce the manuscript of the Disability Rights Bill.
I deeply appreciate the contributions of:
Dr. Frank Ekork, Prof. Jacob Agba, Comrade Ogar Inyang (Secretary of the Committee). Representatives of the CRS JONAPWD cluster heads, including Comrade Ushie (aka Advocates), Martin Williams, Pastor Mbang, and others
The special drafting committee also included: Ekpeyong Essien, Faith Udom,
Flo Usang, Barr. Felix (despite his tight professional schedule), and many other committed advocates
In drafting the bill, we conducted a comparative analysis of the Plateau State Disability Rights Law and the Lagos State Disability Law, while benchmarking firmly against the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD)—which Nigeria signed on 30 March 2007 and ratified on 24 September 2010.
Strategic Partnerships and Legislative Engagement
A special appreciation goes to BCRI and Project Alert, particularly through the tireless efforts of Barr. Ibor Ofem. Their intervention was instrumental. They engaged key members of the Cross River State House of Assembly, especially legislators representing Etung and Yala II State Constituencies.
They also organized awareness and advocacy programmes, including a critical engagement at Metropolitan Hotel, where PWDs interacted one-on-one with lawmakers. On behalf of PWDs in Cross River State, I say a profound thank you to Barr. Ibor Ofem and the leadership of Project Alert.
Through this collaboration, and under the leadership of the then Chairman of CRS JONAPWD, the late Hon. Incumbent, the final draft of the bill was deliberated upon and presented for public hearing.
I also appreciate all stakeholders who participated in that historic public hearing, chaired by the then Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, now a Senator representing the Central Senatorial District of Cross River State, held at the Hallowed Chambers of the National Assembly.
Sacrifice Amid Scarcity
The journey was far from easy. PWDs had no funds for stationery, logistics, or basic coordination. At a critical moment, Sir Arthur Jarvis Archibong generously intervened by donating ₦1 million to CRS JONAPWD. This act of solidarity remains deeply appreciated and will not be forgotten.
Passage and Assent: A Historic Moment
True to his word, the Speaker of the CRS House of Assembly ensured the bill was passed—assured on the 22nd and fulfilled on the 27th. The bill was subsequently transmitted to the Governor for assent.
Through strategic lobbying, including engagement led by Hon. Incumbent via the Governor’s wife, His Excellency, Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade, then Governor of Cross River State, graciously assented to the bill at about 7:45 a.m. on 31 December 2021—exactly four years ago today.
I remain grateful for the opportunity to have led and participated in the various delegations that culminated in the enactment of the CRS Disability Rights Law No. 11 of 2021.
Four Years After: Where Are We?
Four years on, a critical question confronts us:
How far has the law been implemented in Cross River State?
Sadly, the answer leaves a sour taste for many PWDs. Gaps in implementation, misinformation, and the circumvention of rights across our 18 Local Government Areas and 196 wards persist—often fueled by misrepresentation of facts from the Rehabilitation Department of the Ministry of Social Welfare and Community Development.
For the avoidance of doubt, I wish to state clearly that I am not seeking appointment nor promoting myself for any leadership position within the Cross River State disability framework. At present, my focus remains on personal academic development and on addressing critical systemic challenges within Nigeria’s national disability landscape. My intervention is therefore principled, not personal.
What I seek is equity, justice, and the effective realization of the right to “full and effective participation and inclusion in society,” as guaranteed under Article 3(c) of the UNCRPD, and the full application of the “No One Left Behind” principle of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which commits all States to “reach the furthest behind first” and to ensure that development efforts “benefit all segments of society, including persons with disabilities.” This position aligns with Nigeria’s binding obligations under international and regional frameworks, including the UNCRPD, the African Disability Protocol, and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
A Humble Call to the Governor
In this regard, I humbly appeal to His Excellency, Sen. Prince Bassey Otu, the Governor of Cross River State—a man widely acknowledged for his benevolence, humanity, and inclusive leadership as a former Member of the House of Representatives, Senator, and now Governor.
As a national and international disability civil rights advocate, educationist, and reformist, I respectfully request that His Excellency urgently convene a stakeholders’ meeting of disability leaders in Cross River State. This will allow the government to hear directly “from the horse’s mouth” on how to properly establish and position the Cross River State Disability Rights Commission, in line with extant laws and the clear provisions of the CRS Disability Rights Law No. 11 of 2021.
Such action will not only correct existing anomalies but will also give the present administration a credible standing nationally and internationally as a government that truly upholds inclusion, justice, and human dignity.
Final Warning: Law, Legacy, and International Obligation
It must be firmly emphasized that the Cross River State Disability Rights Law No. 11 of 2021 is not a symbolic enactment, but a binding legal instrument imposing clear duties on the Governor and all arms of government to promote, protect, and fulfill the rights of Persons with Disabilities. The continued neglect, selective implementation, or administrative indifference to this law constitutes not only a moral failure but a direct violation of the spirit and letter of the statute, which guarantees dignity, inclusion, participation in governance, accessibility, and protection from discrimination for PWDs in Cross River State.
Furthermore, Nigeria is a State Party to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), which obligates all levels of government—sub-national authorities included—to ensure effective implementation of disability rights through legislation, institutions, and deliberate policy actions. The UNCRPD demands respect for inherent dignity, equality before the law, full participation in public life, and accountability of leadership. These obligations are neither optional nor subject to political convenience.
Should the Governor of Cross River State choose to look the other way—as has unfortunately become customary in the treatment of disability issues with disdain and ignominy, often branding PWDs as disunited or troublesome—history will render its own verdict. Political tenure is temporary; authority is transient; but governance legacy is permanent. At the expiration of this administration, the truth will stand on record: whether His Excellency chose to enforce the law, uphold international human rights standards, and defend the dignity of PWDs, or whether he allowed prejudice, inertia, and institutional neglect to prevail.
This is a defining moment. The Governor can act decisively, implement the Cross River State Disability Rights Law No. 11 of 2021 in full compliance with the UNCRPD, and inscribe his name in gold as a leader who stood on the side of justice and inclusion. Alternatively, he may ignore this historic responsibility—yet history will still be told, just as it is, because no position lasts forever.
Conclusion
On this 4th anniversary, we celebrate progress, honour sacrifices, but also demand implementation. Laws do not change lives by mere existence; they do so through deliberate, faithful execution.
Long live His Excellency, the Governor of Cross River State.
Long live Cross River State.
Long live Persons with Disabilities in Cross River State.
By Job Napoleon Committed APC Member with Disability
Convener: Pioneers Ad Hoc Consortium – UNCRPD Monitoring Independent Mechanism
Academic Staff, University of Calabar
Disability Civil Rights Movement & Policy Changer Advocate