In order to activate sections 17, 18, 19 and 20 of the 2018 Prohibition Act, the Executive Secretary, National Commission for Persons With Disabilities, Mr James David Lalu has advocated for the actualization of scholarship schemes for students with disabilities especially, at higher Institutions.
In a press release signed by Mbanefo JohnMichaels I, head, Press and Public Relations Unit, NCPWD, Lalu made this advancement in Abuja, today 2nd May, 2023 during a courtesy visit to Federal Ministry of Education.
AIn his remarks, the ES highlighted that section 17 of the Act is explicit about the unfettered rights of PWDs to Education without any discrimination or segregation.
“Accordingly, All public schools, whether primary, secondary or tertiary shall be ran with unalloyed inclusivity and structured to be accessible to Persons With Disabilities”, he cited.
Speaking further, the Executive Secretary informed that accessibility is very key to an inclusive Education. He then seized the occasion to explain his interventions in cases of deprivations to access to education due to non compliance by some Institutions which afterwards yielded positive results.
The Commission’s Boss seized the platform to encourage Federal government’s offices such as TETFUND to ensure that scholarships to Persons With Disabilities are timely funded in order to aid the reading and studying culture within the community.
He further decried the ill- treatments by some Unity Schools who decline admissions to wards with disabilities, thereby, increasing the burdens on parents and guidance.
Mr Lalu equally mentioned the issue of 5% employment quota in Unity Schools as provided by the Act.
In his response, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr. Andrew David Adejoh expressed gratitude to the ES for not relenting in his pursuit for better living for Persons With Disabilities.
While responding to the demands by the Commission’s helmsman, the PS promised to look into every case of admission denials.
“I want to assure you that no intending students will ever be deprived of admission as long as they are qualified” he reassured.
