Mr Ayodele Adekanbi, aide to Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo state says the government is amending the disability law to properly suit the needs of persons with disabilities in the state.
Adekanbi, Special Adviser to the governor on matters relating to persons with disabilities spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Monday.
He said that some aspects of the law signed at the National Assembly needed to be reviewed in order to fully accord persons with special needs their rights.
“When we assessed the disability law at the national level, we observed that principal functions of the commission established by the Federal Government are to be performed by persons without any form of disability.
“In addition, we discovered that the commission is populated by persons without disability and we felt that it should not be so.
“These are the reasons why I advised governor Makinde to ensure that the law is first amended before domesticating it in Oyo State.
“In Oyo State, we have decided that the executive chairman and secretary of the commission must be physically challenged persons.
“It was also agreed that 50 per cent of members of the commission must be persons with physical challenges.
“We are doing this because we know that persons living with disability should know the best form of policy that will suit them,” Adekanbi explained.
According to the special adviser, the recommendations are already before the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice for final inputs before amendment by the state House of Assembly.
NAN recalls that President Muhammadu Buhari signed the bill prohibiting all forms of discrimination or stigmatisation against people with disabilities in 2019. (NAN)