Lawyers with Disabilities have congratulated the newly elected NBA President, Olumide Akpata.
Akpata beat stiff competition from two Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN), Babatunde Ajibade and Dele Adesina to emerge as the 30th President of the Association.
President of Lawyers with Disabilities, Barrister Daniel Onwe in his remarks urged Akpata to fulfill his campaign promises to Persons with Disabilities, which according to him are impressive.
He listed some of the promises made by the new president to include the creation of a special forum for Lawyers with disabilities within the NBA system.
“He also promised to canvass for accessibility of the courts, as well as push for the implementation of the Discrimination against Persons Disability (Prohibition) Act. He should not behave like the outgoing NBA President, who woefully failed in all his promises to persons with disabilities,” Onwe said.
Also speaking, National Vice President, Association of Lawyers with Disabilities in Nigeria, Barr. Edeh Catherine Chinyere in a chat with Inclusive News Network, INN, congratulated Akpata, urging him to ensure that everyone is carried along during his tenure.
Barr Edeh, who is also the Executive director, Voice of Disability Initiative and member Board of Trustees of Network of Disabled Women, urged him to also consider creating an office that will be in charge of disability affairs to ensure inclusion of lawyers with disabilities.
“We have hundreds of lawyers with disabilities in Nigeria. Creation of office in charge of disability affairs and inclusion, whether by appointment or by election, it is very crucial to mainstream and ensure representation of lawyers with disabilities in NBA.
“I as a Deaf lawyer for instance cannot effectively cope without the provision of sign language interpreters. We have several Deaf lawyers among us already and to accommodate us will require the engagement/provision of sign language interpreters.”
“Among us are several female lawyers with disabilities too. It is therefore our entreaties that the women section of NBA accommodates us in their activities and program. Overall, we wish our new president and all the recently elected executives a successful and productive tenure,” she said.