By Grace Dalla, Abuja
Barr. Olanrewaju Adebayo, Deputy Director at the Office of Public Defender, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, has urged the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) to establish mechanisms for receiving complaints from persons with disabilities. He emphasized that such reports would serve as critical evidence for the Commission in advocating for the rights of people with disabilities.
The Ministry made this statement during a two-day capacity-building workshop on procedures to ensure efficient justice delivery, organized by the Commission.
Adebayo highlighted that how the Commission handles complaints from persons with disabilities is crucial, as it will influence how effectively organizations that breach the law correct their mistakes and prevent future violations.
He also urged the Commission to utilize the provisions of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, effectively. He added, “As the Commission is tasked with the responsibility of ensuring the rights of persons with disabilities are protected, they should treat all complaints with urgency and take necessary actions promptly.”
Adebayo called on stakeholders, MDAs, CSOs, NGOs, security agencies, and legal bodies to collaborate with the Commission in ensuring inclusion in areas such as sign language, braille, elevators, ramps, and other disability-related needs, handling complaints in accordance with the Act.
He also appealed to national and international bodies to collaborate with the Commission, noting that it cannot tackle the issues affecting persons with disabilities alone.
Barr. Dahiru S. Bobbo, director vulnerable group department, National Human Right Commission, emphasized the importance of exposing Commission staff to further training and creating or maintaining a program department to handle complaints from persons with disabilities.
He suggested that the program department should be responsible for investigating and monitoring violations. He also mentioned the need for a registry, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and research departments, stressing that resources should be allocated to these departments.
Bobbo highlighted the importance of following the correct legal procedures in addressing violations against persons with disabilities and in fighting for their rights.
He also advocated for the establishment of a joint monitoring team to ensure effective oversight. According to Bobbo, some key objectives of the team should include monitoring the implementation of the Act across relevant sectors, assessing the level of compliance by public and private entities, and identifying gaps and challenges in the implementation process.
Mr Bobbo who was once a board member of the Commission advocated improved funding across the various departments of the National Commission for Persons With Disabilities. He condemned the poor living standards of Directors with disabilities in the commission and suggested better welfare for all the staff.
He said the class of salary structure that the commission is currently under should be addressed as soon as possible to be reviewed into a special package as enjoyed by other agencies of federal government.