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2020: Nigeria And The Plight Of Its Disabled People by Barr. Nwokoma Francisca



Soon Nigerians especially the majority of its disabled population who have suffered neglect over the years will be acknowledging the celebrated signing into law of the 2018 Disability Act which President Muhammadu Buhari graciously signed into law after unrelentless efforts by disability rights group towards ensuring that Nigeria is not counted amongst countries that have refused to domesticate the laws associated with persons with disabilities.

This article does not intend to write about what disability entails or how much those with disabilities have suffered. It however has the intention of looking into the hypocrisy of those in authourities who have decided to abandon those with disabilities even when they will come up every 3rd day of December to celebrate the International Day of Persons With Disabilities.

Last year December, Sen. Istanfinus Gyang who is the Deputy Chairman of the Defence Committee came up with a well celebrated motion which sought to rally the Nigerian people especially the government as to the importance of not only paying lip service on the issue of neglecting those with disabilities but by walking the talk by taking proactive measures towards ensuring that those with disabilities are treated as humans and not semi humans. The motion also intended to ensure that most of the provisions of the 2018 Act are taken seriously by those in authourity.

I have been privileged to associate with lots of persons with disabilities over the years and can testify how they felt about the Sen. Gyang motion on persons with disabilities. Their only hope is that the government does not quickly forget the plight of the 15% disabled Nigerians with the same speed with which the Senate passed the motion of the Plateau born member of the Red Chamber last December.

Their fear may not be misplaced considering the fact that it took the Nigerian government almost a decade  to sign the Anti Discriminatory Bill against people with disabilities. When countries like Canada, Australia, Lebanon and even neighbouring Kenya had domesticated laws on persons with disabilities.

As laudable as the Sen. Gyang December3rd motion may be and its passing by the majority of Senators that fateful day, it will amount to a wild goose chase if its implementation is not done by the government. Already most of the prayers of the motion are encapsulated in the Anti discriminatory Act of 2018. The reason why it is taking the government such a long time to look at the sensitization of its citizenry on the basic rights and privileges of people with disabilities as well as creating enabling access to premises and developing infrastructure that will take into cognizance the plight of the disabled is what baffles everyone in the disabled community.
For the records, the Anti Discriminatory Act of 2018 prohibits discrimination o the basis of disabilities and imposes sanctions as well as prison sentences on those that contravene the law. The law also stipulates a five year transitional period for modifying public buildings, structures and automobiles to making them use friendly for persons with disabilities. The law also proposes  the creation of a Commission for persons with disabilities which will ensure that those with disabilities have access to housing, education and health care as well as responsible for receiving complaints on behalf of persons with disabilities as well as supporting them to enforce their rights.

I remember being in a public hearing at the Rivers state House of Assembly years ago when a similar law was passed which has not been enforced in any way years after its passing and really wish to purge myself of being pessimistic that it will suffer the same fate as the 2018 President Muhammadu Buhari Act. The president in signing the Act has shown his humaneness for the disabled people of Nigeria. His magnanimity should be supported ad acted upon by those in authourities especially those vested with the responsibilities of ensuring its execution. They should also spare the like of Sen. Gyang who has shown his compassion for the disabled Nigerians the stress of moving another motion on the same issue on December 3rd this year.

Barr. Nwokoma Francisca is the Country Director of Save De Globe- International



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