FG to facilitate passage of Disability Bill
By NAN on December 3, 2015 5:36 pm
Hajiya Jummai Alhassan, the Minister of Women Affairs
and Social Development, on Thursday, said Federal
Government was working toward actualising the passage of
the Nigerian Disability Bill.
She made the disclosure in Abuja on Thursday at an event
to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities
with the theme “Inclusion Matters: Access and
Empowerment for people of All Abilities.’’
The theme was geared towards empowering people with
disability as part of maintaining the sustainable development
goal agenda.
She said disability was one of the major challenges that
continually threatened human existence and the attainment
of meaningful development, noting that marking the day
was a wakeup call toward ensuring domestication of the law
in Nigeria.
She explained that the UN conventions on the rights of
persons with Disabilities by Nigeria in 2007 and 2010 were
geared toward the development, care and welfare of persons
with disabilities.
The minister also said that the aim of the call was to awaken
UN member states toward encouraging and promoting
activities that would ensure interaction, mainstreaming and
empowerment of persons with disabilities.
“It was also meant to promote the understanding of
disability issues and stimulate support for dignity,
empowerment, among others.
She then urged the society to assist and empower people
with disabilities, especially in the areas of job creation,
health, nutrition, education as well as social protection.
She said “it is only when people are empowered that they
can prepare to take advantage of opportunities and become
agents of change and can more readily embrace their civic
responsibilities.’’
Mrs Binta Bello, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of
Women Affairs and Social Development, said the objective
of the day was to create awareness, promote understanding
of disability issues and mobilise support for dignity and
rights of persons with disabilities.
Bello, who gave an estimated number of 19 million
Nigerians living with disabilities, noted that it was an area
that must be given adequate attention.
The permanent secretary urged stakeholders to work out
plans toward meeting the needs of such persons, adding that
budgetary allocations could not shoulder all their needs.
She called for advocacy, sponsorship of public
enlightenment workshops on the plight of persons with
disabilities, as well as capacity building in information
technology, among others.
“It is also important to provide some of them with braille
presses/libraries with modern braille gadgets and get
sponsored for economic empowerment programmes.’’
She said the Ministry of Women Affairs had recruited some
persons with disabilities into Federal Civil Service and had
created disability desks in the office of the head of civil
service of the federation, among others.
She urged the private sector and other stakeholders to key
into the ministry’s programmes to guarantee the rights and
privileges and ensure an enabling environment for persons
with disabilities.
Mr Dennis Okoro , the Director, MTN Foundation, said
taking care of persons with disabilities was part of the
sustainable development goals.
He said MTN Foundation had given scholarships to 421
blind students to any school of their choice to empower
them and paid N200,000 tuition fees per session to some
disabled students.
He said the Foundation had committed N120 million to the
scheme with the aim of supporting their education.
Mr David Anyale, the Executive Director, Centre for
Citizens with Disabilities, urgedthe Federal Government to
pass into law the Disability Bill.
He said “whenever a part of a person’s body is lost, money,
economic, as well as social status is lost.”
He also urged the Federal Government to evolve measures
in the areas of transportation, information, communication
to assist such persons.