The Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Disability, Hon. Dr. Bashiru Dawodu says the Committee would convene a stakeholders’ engagement on the issues affecting Persons with disability in Nigeria.
He also pledged to ensure that the engagement is sustained over time.
The Lawmaker made the pledge at a Media Parley to mark World Children’s Day, Focusing on Children with Disabilities and the Disability Act 2018.
He assured them that the House Committee would make sure that there is 5% reservation of slots in employment by the MDAs for persons with disabilities.
Dawodu also stated that the committee would use legislations and amendments of such laws to ensure that no person with disability is denied access to public institutions in their search for opportunities including employment.
Persons with Disability in Nigeria under the eagis of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disability has called for the removal of the age-long discriminatory practices where such persons are denied employment in Ministries Departments and Agencies MDAs and sometimes entry into government offices.
The group also canvassed the need for a amendment of the Child Rights Act and other legislations on discrimination against persons with disabilities as a way of ensuring that such practices are reduced to the minimal level in the society.
The National President of the Association Mr Abdullahi Aliyu who made the call at a media parley stated that the society discriminates against persons with disability and other persons with special needs and lamented that the laws makes provision for such persons but they cannot be enforced.
He also said that all hands must be on deck from both the legislature and executive to ensure that parents of children with special needs sponsor their education to the highest levels so that they can make contributions to societal development.
Similarly, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Disability Matters, Comrade Mohammed Abba Isa said that enough is enough in the exclusion of persons with disabilities in employment in MDAs of government.
He noted that the Disability Act 2018 specifically provided that 5% of employment in MDAS should be set aside for persons with disabilities and enjoined the relevant agencies to abide by it in their routine recruitment of staff.
“The Disability Act specified that 5% of persons with disability should be employed in Ministries Departments and Agencies MDAS.
“We want the President to abide by the provision of this Act and possibly review it to 10%.“ Mr Isa said.
Other speakers at the parley who were mostly women with children with special needs also called on the government to help in the funding of education of such children with special needs.
The Parley was by the House of Representatives Committee on Disability where the committee engaged with persons with disabilities to chart a road map for the committee’s activities.
