Past National Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA Adesina Adegbite has urged states of the federation to enact strong laws to protect individuals with disabilities.
Adegbite said this at a one-day symposium on Disability Laws In Nigeria organised by the Association of Lawyers with Disabilities (ALDIN) in Enugu on Wednesday, 1st September, 2021.
In his speech, he outlined what the NBA has done in the past to assist members of ALDIN including the full sponsorship for ALDIN members to the NBA Conferences of 2017 and 2018 respectively, while he served as the NBA Welfare Secretary. He also made reference to the recent creation of a Forum for ALDIN by the present NBA leadership.
On the Disability Laws in Nigeria, he called on all States in Nigeria to enact legislation on Disability Rights Laws. He also enjoined the ALDIN leadership to immediately fashion out a modality for an nationwide sensitisation campaigns for the adoption of the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2019 by States. He encouraged them to engage the various Houses of Assembly in the States that are yet to adopt the Act so as to ensure they initiate bills towards getting the Law enacted. He also advised the Association to seek funding towards the sensitisation project.
The NBA Past Welfare Secretary also spoke on the need for ALDIN and indeed every lawyer and activist in Nigeria to instantly begin an agitation for the implementation of the 2019 Act, and the Laws enacted by some States of which Lagos State was the trailblazer. He emphasized that it is not enough to see a legislation through, but more importantly, implementation of the laws must be ensured.
The ALDIN leadership and members were full of praises for Mr. Adesina Adegbite who they referred to as a friend and partner of ALDIN.
