The Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) has called for the recognition of persons with disabilities by the Federal Government and 17 state governments in the country.
The CCD Director, David Anyaele said this in a statement to commemorate this year’s edition of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Saturday.
Proclaimed in 1992 by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 47/3, the annual event is held on December 3 to promote an understanding of disability issues, and mobilise support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities.
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It also seeks to increase awareness of gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic, and cultural life.
The theme for 2022 is “Transformative Solutions for Inclusive Development: The Role of Innovation in Fueling an Accessible and Equitable World.”
According to the CCD, this year’s event is an opportunity to reflect and to ask critical questions on the extent that the Federal Government and its subnationals are responsive to the full integration of persons with disabilities into society and ensuring their education, health care and the protection of their social, economic, and civil rights.
“We are impressed with state governments that have adopted the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 or passed disability laws in their respective states,” it stated.
The centre noted that the only states that had laws protecting their citizens with disabilities included Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, and Plateau states (North Central); Bauchi State (North-East); Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto and Zamfara states (North-West); Abia and Anambra states (South-East); Cross River and Edo states (South-South); and Ekiti, Lagos, Ondo, and Oyo states (South-West).
“We are calling on Akwa Ibom, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Ogun, Osun, Katsina, Kebbi, Gombe, Rivers, Taraba, and Yobe state governments to take appropriate measures to protect their citizens with disabilities without further delay through the adoption of the Disability Act,” the CCD added
According to it, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the federal and state governments are doing little or nothing to ensure the full implementation of the disability law.
“We are concerned that Section 2 of the Disability Act, which provides that the Federal Ministry of Information shall make provisions for promotion of awareness regarding: (a) the rights, respect and dignity of persons with disabilities, (b) the capabilities, achievements and contributions of persons with disabilities to the society; this has not happened for four years after the passage of the Act.
“This is made obvious through the prioritisation of disability issues in budgetary provisions by 16 federal MDAs responsible for disability affairs in Nigeria. This is made worse in states with a disability commission with little or no resources for operations, turning them into institutions of begging.
“Therefore, if the governments are not implementing the disability laws in the land, who will protect the rights of PWDs? We call on members of the Federal and States House of Assembly to demand the budgetary provisions and activities from all MDAs for the full implementation of the Disability Law.”
