The President of The Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Yakubu Maikyau, SAN said the association under his watch would provide the necessary accessibility facilities to aid lawyers with disabilities at the Courts and NBA Secretariats.
He made this promise on Tuesday during the 2022 Conference of The Nigerian Bar Association – Lawyers With Disabilities Forum (NBA- LWDF) held in Abuja.
The conference which is “Lawyer With Disabilities In Nigeria: Realities, Challenges & Expectations” was put together by NBA Lawyers with disabilities to promote issues around disability and access to justice system in Nigeria.
Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, President of the Nigerian Bar Association in his keynote address applauded the NBA-LWDF for hosting the conference, he said that all persons with disabilities should be allowed to participate on equal basis in the society. He also said that the productivity of PWDs in the society is the business of everyone because one has to face one form of disability in life as far as aging is concern and we should make sure that lawyers with disabilities also gets a quota to contribute to the growth of justice in the society. Speaking further, he said that in his capacity as the president he will ensure accessibility, equal participation and inclusivity in the Bar and he promised to give lawyers with disabilitiies forum listening ear wherever and whenever it is needed.
Maikyau, expressed worry about the wrong perception, discrimination and stereotyping towards lawyers with disabilities.
Speaking further, he called for more advocacy to enhance the understanding of the people and to focus more on promoting the potentials of Lawyers with disabilities and persons with disabilites at large.
He also said “I have seen the resilience of members of this Forum. I have seen purposefulness in what you have done. I can see everything you bring to bear in anything that you do”.
“I can see your conviction and persuasions; and put it side by side with what you describe yourselves in this Forum, Imagine if that had been taken away, we would not be where we are today. We would have gone far” he added.
He stated that the NBA would be committed to ensuring the promotion and protection of the rights of Lawyers with disabilities and Persons With Disabilites in general.
He said that to demonstrate the commitment, the NBA would strictly complied with the National Disability Act seeking for 5% inclusion of persons with disabilities in the association’s committee for next year’s Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA-AGC) and provision of accessibility facilities at Courts and NBA Secretariats.
The Executive Secretary of The National Commission for Persons With Disabilities (NCPWD), Mr James Lalu in his goodwill message commended NBA- LWDF for organizing the maiden edition their conference.
Mr. Lalu knowledged the efforts and commitments of lawyers with disabilities in enforcing The Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018.
“Even when the Disability Act was passed by the previous National Assembly, the then Executive Arm of government did not see reasons to signed it into law, but lawyers with disabilities was up in their game and never relented”.
“They pushed so hard and here we are today. Therefore, we will always be grateful to lawyers with disabilities in Nigeria.
“However, we are working on regulations and we are hoping that, as soon as possible we are going to achieve these regulations.
“The regulations make it very clear and provide the standard dimension and necessary measurement for a unified standard facilities that are disability friendly across the country.
“The law provides five years period in which everybody or organisations must adjust to provide accessibility in their own offices and environments,” Lalu said.
Mr. Lalu, however, called on the members of the NBA to ensure that their offices, secretariat, meet with the accessibility standard for lawyers with disabilities in Nigeria.
James lalu also said that NBA should ensure that their offices, Secretariats and the court rooms are made accessible for inclusivity of all persons including PWDs to ensure implementation of the disability Act 2018, and in that regards PWDs can get access to justice.
Earlier, in her remarks, The Secretary, Governing Council of LWDF, Mrs. Patience Etumudon, described the theme of the conference, as apt and timely as it would tackle some of challenges facing the physically challenged lawyers such as negative stereotyping, unemployability status, lack of aids to access public and private facilities and offices, amongst others.
The Chairman, NBA-LWDF, Asia Ahmed El- Rufai in her opening speech represented by Patience Efumudon, the Secretary NBA-LWDF appreciated participants for gracing their conference which is the maiden edition with the theme “lawyers with disabilitiies in Nigeria:realities, challenges and expectation” the first official congregation of lawyers with disabilitiies in Nigeria. The theme is as regards to what lawyers with disabilitiies go through in the society, this will enhance development and also tackle the challenges that lawyers with disabilitiies faces. This will change the narrative among persons in the society and that is why the panel session has been attached to ensure that the theme of this conference provides positive and possible solution to challenges faced by lawyers with disabilitiies in Nigeria.
“We also applaud the Nigerian Bar Association for this opportunity to be part of this great forum and putting all efforts to ensure that the voices of lawyers with disabilities are heard in the society.
She also thanked the donors for their support and dignitries and participants for honoring the conferences.
She also stressed the need for the adoption of technologies in enhancing the job delivery of lawyers with disabilities.
Also, Mrs. Rafiu, Ismail, who represented lawyers with learning disabilities, said the Nigeria’s dyslexia reports indicated that there are over 40 million Nigerians with dyslexia while about 9 million in the workforce are affected with this.
“Part of what we are interested in working with a lot of NGOs is on the need to focus more on learning disabilities and not just the physical disabilities. This is because learning disabilities are not visible. This can only be made known through early detection and testing” Mrs. Ismail said.
She noted that one of the ways to promote the rights of persons with disabilities is to provide more extra time and attentions for such persons taking exams in order to place them side by side with others.
Mazi Afam Osigwe applauded the chairman, Aisha El-Rufi, members of governing council, and the members of the NBA-LWDF for hosting your maiden conference with the theme lawyers with disabilitiies in Nigeria: Realities, challenges and expectations. The theme of the conference is very apt as the time has come when this nation and the bar in particular should be more involved in creating an enabling environment for the vulnerable people including lawyers with disabilities in Nigeria to thrive.
Henry Barnabas Ehi, in his goodwill message appreciated the NBA-LWDF for putting up the conference and he said that he believes that resolutions from this conference will promote inclusivity and will further expand the scope of the welfare of persons with disabilities in Nigeria.
There were two plenary sessions, one on the topic: Employment and Employability of Lawyers with Disabilities Beyond the Rhetorics to Reality and the other on:Technology as a Barrier Breaker: Thinking out a Road Map
The group presented award to NBA president, Chairman NBA-LWDF, panelists and dignitaries such as Aisha Dikko, Sir Stephen Ojomeko Zakari Adehi SAN, Prof. Ernest Ojukwu, Tobenna Erojikwe, Dr. Beatrice Shuwa, Prof Teddy Idiabeta, Mr. Ope Olugasa, Mrs. Amina Suzannah Agbaje, Gabriel Chikwado Eze Esq and Prince Sunny Ukachukwu.
