By Lawrence Njoku
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Initiative for Eradication of Poverty and Empowerment of the Disabled (IFEPED) and other stakeholders, on 23 March, urged Enugu State government to domesticate the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act in the state.
The law had been signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari since 2018.
But at IFEPED’s presentation in Enugu, yesterday, stakeholders who commended Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for being the first to implement the Child Rights Act in the country, urged him to see the need to act on the Disability Law.
In the 14-point communiqué issued at the end of a one-day workshop tagged, “Breaking the Barriers in the life of People With Disabilities,” IFEPED also called on organisations and individuals to mount pressure on Enugu State House of Assembly to emulate other states and domesticate the law without delay.
The body also urged the state government to, offer automatic employment to suitably qualified persons with disabilities as well as offer them free medical services in health institutions.
The state Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Emmanuel Ede, who read the communiqué, expressed optimism that Ugwuanyi would do the needful as it concerns the law.
He said: “Today, we present a communiqué that was prepared by the people living with disabilities in Enugu State and what they are seeking to achieve is the domestication of the law because both the United Nations (UN) and Federal Republic of Nigeria have done something great and it is their desire that the Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who had also ensured that the Child Rights Act was passed into law will also give full and adequate attention to this by ensuring that the State House of Assembly does the same thing that is expected, that this Disability Law is domesticated in Enugu State.
“You may wish to know that it’s been so dear in the heart of everybody that Enugu State should take the lead. I want to say that His Excellency, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, the Governor of Enugu State, has more than the political will to put this at the right place it is supposed to be by ensuring that it is passed into law.
“So we strongly believe that when it gets to his desk, he will ensure that action is expedite Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act d and the Speaker of Enugu State House of Assembly who also shows concern for the less-privileged will also help in the passage of this law in a record time.”
