By Friday Idachaba.
Kogi chapter of Persons With Disabilities (PWD) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have called on the State Government to urgently gazette all laws passed by the state Legislative Assembly from 2016 to date.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the call was made at a Media Roundtable with PWD members organised by The Leprosy Mission Nigeria (TLMN) in collaboration with Kogi Non-Governmental Organisations Network (KONGONET) on Friday in Lokoja.
Mrs Hannah Fashona, TLMN Programme Officer in the state the media roundtable was part of a five-year strategic development plan for Kogi Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development to address issues of vulnerable groups in the state.
Mr Aromeh Ibrahim, chairman of the State PWD said the implementation or enforcement of the laws passed by the House of Assembly and assented to by Gov. Yahaya Bello over the last five years had been cumbersome due to inaccessibility to the laws.
Ibrahim regretted that since the Disability Law with provisions for establishment of Disability Office or Commission was passed and assented to in 2018, no part of it has been implemented.
Against this backdrop, the chairman appealed to the state government to domesticate the law to conform with the national and gazette it to enable uniform implementation across the country.
In same vein, Mr Idris Muraina, Chairman, KONGONET, in his submission also appealed to the state government to gazette all the laws passed and assented to from 2016 to date.
“One of such laws is the ‘Law to Establish the Disability Office, Guarantee and Protect the Rights of Persons Living With Disabilities and for other Matters connected Therewith, 2018’ passed and assented to in December, 2018.
“The other is the ‘Law to provide for the Establishment of Youth Development Commission, Implementation of Sustainable Youth Policy and Other Matters connected therewith, 2018’ duly passed and assented to by the governor”, he said.
In her contribution, Mrs Elizabeth Adegbola, Director Rehabilitation, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development said government was doing everything possible for People Living With Disabilities to excel.
Alhaji Bello Jibrin, chairman Association of Persons Living With Leprosy said the level of stigmatization for people living with leprosy related disability is higher and therefore called for increased sensitization and awareness.
Also speaking, Queen Christopher decried stigmatization against women with disabilities saying, “if this law is domesticated and enforced, it will go a long way in checking the trend.”
Mr Nathaniel Abaniwo, State Coordinator of Association of Orphans and Vulnerable Children NGOs in Nigeria, said children with disabilities where more vulnerable and suffer more in school and play environments and therefore called for speedy implementation of the disability law.
(NAN)
