A Disability Rights Advocate, Mr Bizibrains Okpeh, has called for deliberate efforts toward the implementation of the National Disability Act for the benefits of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
Okpeh stated this on Monday in Enugu during an event organised by the Association of Lawyers with Disabilities in Nigeria,
The programme was organised with support by Disability Rights Fund.
Okpe, who presented a paper on ‘Domestication and Implementation of Disability Laws’, said that it was sad that most states, including Enugu had yet to domesticate the act.
He said that the National Disability Act would better guarantee the rights and welfare of PWDs.
He said that the act which was enacted by the National Assembly in 2019, provided for the full integration of persons with disabilities into the society.
According to him, no fewer than one billion people, comprising 15 per cent of the world population, live with various forms of disabilities globally.
He said that more than 30 million Nigerians lived with disabilities.
The legal practitioner said that the instrument also made provisions for the establishment of the National Commission for People with Disabilities (NCPWD).
According to him, the act vested on the commission the responsibilities of taking care of the education, health care, social-economic, and civil rights needs of such people.
He said that the act also made it imperative that the interest of PWDs be protected while constructing public buildings.
“The act provides for the healthcare, education, equal right to work and opportunities for gainful employment for such people and makes it a punishable offence to do otherwise.
“Thus, employers of labour in public organisations are required to have PWDs constitute at least five per cent of their workforce,” he said.
Okpe called on the NCPWD and the Federal Ministry of Information to scale up awareness and enlightenment programmes in that regard.
He said that it had become imperative to use Executive Order to achieve the implementation of certain provisions of the act, especially those relating to accessibility and employment.
On the domestication the act by state governments, Okpe said that it was sad that not much had been achieved in that direction.
According to him, only 10 out of 36 states have domesticated the act as at March 17, 2020.
