The House of Representatives Committee on Persons With Disabilities has lamented that, despite the passage of the ‘Discrimination Against Persons With Disability (prohibition) act 2018’ popularly known as ‘Disability Act 2018’, Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) are not keen on implementing its provisions to ease the needs of persons With special needs in their day-to-day activities.
This was observed by the committee as well as stakeholders at an investigative hearing on the level of compliance to the Act by MDAs on Monday.
In his opening address, Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Bashiru Dawodu, said the committee was mandated to investigate the compliance of MDAs to Discrimination Against Persons With Disability (prohibition) Act 2018 sequel to the resolution of the House on a motion.
He said the enquiry would critically assess thematic areas of accessibility, employment, disability inclusion in policy, plans, programme and projects of the MDAs.
Rep. Dawodu noted that the commencement of implementation of the provisions of the Act had a timeline which ended in January, but most MDAs had not started or put in place any measures to that effect.
Also speaking, the House Leader, Rep. Julius Ihonvere, quoted a World Health Organisation (WHO) report that Nigeria accounts for about 20 million out of the total 195 million PWDs around the world, accounting for about 3.9% of the figures.
He said, “This is therefore a major challenge to the government and people of Nigeria. I believe that the basis for this engagement has become necessary and long overdue. We must act now in order to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.
“We all know that the National Assembly passed the Bill on the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018 and was accented to by President Muhammadu Buhari, this means that this law is already in force.
“The Act protects the rights and welfare of Persons With Disabilities in Nigeria, as enunciated by Part V, which provides for the liberty, right to education, health and first consideration in queues, accommodation and in emergencies.
“Yet, MDAs are yet to implement the Act even at this moment that we speak. But if this is allowed to continue, it will cause severe damage to our social economic development and further impair our thinking as a people without understanding and the will to do the right thing”.