Stakeholders has called on Federal Ministry Of Information to create awareness on Disability Act.
This call was made during the media launch of Translated Simplified Version Of Discrimination Against Persons With Disabilities (Prohibition)Act, 2018 to three local languages Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba in Abuja on Monday.
The Translated Simplified Version Of Disability Act was put together by The Leprosy Mission Nigeria in collaboration with National Commission Of Persons With Disabilities with support from SIDA and SMC.
The National Director, Dr. Sunday Udoh said that the idea behind the project is to promote access to the provisions of the act to the rural communities.
The Consultant to the project, Comrade Chris Agbo, Publisher, The Qualitative Magazine said that it is strategic that National Orientation Agency (NOA) to be at the event because they are saddled with the responsibility to disseminate the act in different Nigerian Languages using the radio and tv because majority of PWDs resides in the rural communities and people in the rural communities must understand the provisions of the Act for it to be effectively implemented.
Hon. Mohammed Isa, SSA to President On Disability Matters said that NOA should raise up on the responsibility using their offices in the 774 LGs to create awareness on disability Act. He promised to collaborate with the NOA and others to create awareness on disability act.
James Lalu, ES, NCPWD in his remark, appreciated The Leprosy Mission Nigeria on the initiative and promised continued collaboration. He also said that the initiative is coming at the right time because the five transitory period will be over by 16th January, 2024 and ignorance of the law is not an excuse. He said that NCPWD will ensure that compliance is enforced by January.
Speaking further, he said that NCPWD will form a bilateral agreement to ensure that information about disability law will get to all corners of the country.
Hon. Dr. Bashiru Dawodu, House Committee Chairman On Disability Matters said that it is disheartening that Federal Ministry Of Information is not performing their duties of creating awareness on the act as it is enshrined in Section 2 of the Disability Act.
He said that he has moved four motions in the floor of the house and this is part of it. He informed that his committee is working to make a law that every MDAs must perform their duty towards implementation of disability law.
The speaker of the house is passionate about the implementation of Disability Act, that’s why he appointed me a medical doctor to head the committee on disability and we are assuring you that we will use the legislative powers to ensure that compliance after the 5 years grace by next year.
Margaret Yenami, Assistant Director at NOA who represented DG, NOA said that NOA has been collaborate with OPDs towards capacity building of organizations on disability inclusion.
The publication was unveiled and sign language format and braille is expected.
