Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Prof. Tunji Olaopa, yesterday, urged the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) to gather credible data about its members.

Olaopa spoke, yesterday, when officials of the commission, led by their Executive Secretary, Chief Ayuba Gufwan, paid him a courtesy visit. He said the disabilities commission should find out the factors responsible for the rise of its membership and how they could be mitigated, saying that credible data would help the disabilities commission in its advocacy.

While commending President Bola Tinubu for supporting the commission, Olaopa promised to bring to the attention of the Head of Service of the Federation the alleged discrimination against people with disabilities by MDAs.

According to him, the FCSC diligently adheres to the statutory provision that five per cent of its employment should be for people with disabilities but challenged the commission to clearly define who qualifies for disability. He urged the commission to educate its members on the need to use all the vacancies meant for them as some vacancies were not utilised. Olaopa promised that FCSC would create a direct channel of communication with the disabilities commission.

While cautioning the commission to be more effective in its advocacy, Olaopa urged the disabilities commission to relate with NGOs, agencies, and the private sector as the government alone could not provide all the opportunities they seek.