By Paul Effiong, Abuja
House of Representatives has expressed worry over the lack of enforcement and political will to implement the Disability Act.
Majority Leader of the House, Julius Ihonvbere made the assertion yesterday in his welcome remarks during the opening ceremony of a public hearing on the compliance of MDAs to the Discrimination Against Persons with Disability (Prohibition) Act 2018 at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.
The majority leader disclosed that the probe was sequel to the resolution of the House earlier this year.
According to the lawmaker, the discrimination and stigmatisation faced by Persons With Disabilities in
Nigeria has continued unabated, yet the compliance level of MDAs to the Disability Act has overtime left the challenges unattended tom
He lamented that Nigeria has all that is required to implement the Act, even as he blamed lack of enforcement on lack of political will by government at all levels.
“The World Health Organisation, WHO, reports that Nigeria accounts for about 20 million out of the total 195 million persons with disabilities around the world, which implies that we account for about 3.9 percent of the figure. This is a major challenge to the government and people of Nigeria. | believe that this engagement is necessary and long overdue. We must act now in order to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past,” he stated.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman, House Committee on Disability Matters, Bashiru Dauda explained that the flag-off was intended to get inputs from the disability community, as well as assess compliance with the Act.
Dauda stated that issues of special importance to them include accessibility to public buildings and the use of sign language interpreters in the media and all public communications among other topical matters.
According to him, Section 1 (i) of the Act provides that “a person with disability shall not be discriminated against on the grounds of his disability by any person or institution in any manner or circumstance.”
In his reaction, the National President, Jont National Association of People With Disabilities, JONAPWD, Abdullahi Usman thanked the committee for the public hearing, urging for immediate implementation of the Act across the country.
Also speaking, President of Association of Persons Living With Disabilities, APLWDs, Mr Akorede Adebowale said the House should ensure that persons with disabilities have access to rest rooms and other facilities in public buildings and similar institutions.
In his remarks, the Commandant-General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Dr Abubakar Audi said all ministries, departments and agencies must ensure that they establish a disability desk in their headquarters and state offices.
The NSCDC boss, who was represented by Commandant Uchechukwu Nwankpa, informed that as an agency, they ensure that every citizen lives with dignity and equal opportunity, adding that a special desk had since been operational in the agency to address the needs of PWDs.
