Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) has urged president Muhammadu Buhari to sign in an Act the electoral bill. The Bill when enacted, will provide for the removal of barriers that hinders persons with disabilities from participating in the electoral process on equal basis with others.
It said more than 18 months after President Mohammadu Buhari gave directives to MDAs to pay special attention to the peculiarities of persons with disabilities in the formulation and implementation of their policies and programmes, and where suitable their employment.
It said the MDAs are not responsive to the directives, it called on heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies to operationalize these directives by the President to ensure the full implementation of the Disability Rights Act.
The Executive Director of the group, David Obinna Anyaele made the call in a statement released on Friday to commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD).
International Day of Persons with Disabilities is a day set aside by the United Nations to promote a better understanding of disability issues with a focus on the rights of persons with disabilities and gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of the political, social, economic, and cultural life of their communities. The theme for the 2021 IDPD is “Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world.”.
This year is particularly important as it’s the third time CCD is celebrating this day since the passage and assent by the President of the disability rights Act that is designed to protect more than 31 million citizens with disabilities.
Speaking further, David said “we are marking this day at a time Nigerians are waiting the assent of the President on a Bill for an Act To Repeal The Electoral Act No. 6, 2010 And Enact The Electoral Act 2021, To Regulate The Conduct Of Federal, State And Area Councils In The Federal Capital Territory Elections; And For Related Matters.”
He said he is worried that 34 months after the passage of the Disability Rights Act, only 13 States have demonstrated measures to adopt the Act. He commends States like Lagos, Anambra, Ekiti, Ondo, Plateau, Bauchi, Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Kogi, Niger, Kwara, and Niger States for the passage of disability law in their States.
He called on the States government yet to adopt the National Disability Rights Act to do so without further delay. “This is important because failure in this regard is an indirect endorsement of discrimination and other harmful practices against their citizens with disabilities. It is important for State governments to make inclusion and participation of citizens with disabilities in governance and development programmes a priority, as it is very expensive and difficult to live with disability without government support.
“We wish to commend the National Assembly in particular the Federal House of Representatives for the establishment of an ad-hoc Committee on Disability Affair with Hon. Miriam Onuoha as its Chairperson. We are calling on the Senate and States House of Assemblies to borrow a leaf from the Federal House of Representatives by establishing similar ad-hoc Disability Committees to ensure that issues of persons with disabilities are given priority at State and Federal level.
“We are concerned that thirty-four months after the passage of the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018, citizens with disabilities are still left behind due to non-implementation of the Act by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). This is evidenced by the non-provision of necessary measures to enhance access to buildings of these MDAs, and inclusion of citizens with disabilities in their programmes and activities.
“We are worried that many States across the Federation are struggling to make reasonable budgets for the integration and rehabilitation of citizens with disabilities, even when they are budgeted, persons with disabilities hardly benefit from such provision. However, we commend States like Lagos State, Plateau, Ondo and Anambra States that have taken measures to not only pass disability bills but have taken steps to create offices for disability affairs in their various States.
“Acknowledging that Nigeria has signed the United Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities including it optional protocols, we state that SDGs will not be achieved if state and nonstate actors continue to discriminate, isolate, and marginalize over 31 million Nigerians with disabilities in planning and implementation of the SDGs in Nigeria.
Anyaele appreciated the media and specifically Inclusive News Network for their continued support to the efforts of the disability community towards increasing the voice of the voiceless (Nigerians with disabilities) in our society through inclusive reportage.
He also urged organisations of, and for persons with disabilities not to relent in their efforts of promoting and creating awareness on the disability issues at Local, State and Federal level to enhance public understanding, as nothing about us with us.