By COLLINS YAKUBU-HAMMER

The National Commission for Persons with Disabilities has restated its commitment to support the Most Beautiful Deaf Girl in Nigeria (MBDGN) pageant coming up in Abuja on Saturday.

Its Executive Secretary, Mr James Lalu, also assured of the Commission’s determination to continue to create awareness for the rights of the deaf in Nigeria.

He gave the assurances on Thursday in Abuja when he hosted the organiser of the pageant, Mrs Janet Fasakin and some of the contestants.

Lalu congratulated Fasakin for organising the pageant which would showcase to the world that the disability community has abundance of beautiful ladies.

“The Commission will do its best to support you. We will get some funds to support what you are doing,” he said.

He assured also that the Commission would encourage the winner to conceptualise a proper project since the contest would create the necessary awareness about disabilities and about deafness in particular.

“We will bring these queens and our partners together to discuss how the partners will fund projects related to their mandates.

“Our major area of focus right now is to create the necessary awareness on disability issues in Nigeria.

“Your pageant will help us to push for the motivation and also the creation of awareness of deaf issues in Nigeria.

“You make us the deaf community to be proud to bring this type of programme to show to the world that the deaf can do it. If anybody is talking about beauty, we have them,” Lalu said.

Earlier, Fasakin said she and some of the beauty queens visited the Commission to honour Lalu as the father of all Persons with Disabilities in Nigeria.

“We come to inform you that the beauty pageant is coming up on Sept. 17 at the Women Development Centre, Abuja, and would like to collaborate with you and also have your presence,” she said. (NAN)