The Federal and Lagos State Governments have been charged to ensure adequate implementation of the National Disability Law and Lagos State Special People’s Law.
The charge was made by Dr. Adebukola Adebayo, Disability-Inclusion Expert and Board Member, Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs, LASODA, while speaking at a program organized by the Federal Nigeria Society for the Blind.
Dr. Adebukola Adebayo, noted that “all authorities who have passed law for PWDs should go through the laws, know the provisions and implement them to ensure that PWDs are at par with others.”
Dr. Adebayo explained that 24 states across the country are at different stages of legislation on disability issues adding that, “some have been passed into law, some are still at the House of Assembly while some are waiting for governors’ assent.”
He highlighted some provisions of the Lagos State Special People’s Law which should be amended to ensure that PWDs are adequately provided for.
Among the provisions for review was the Provision for inclusion, Dr Adebayo said “the laws have provision for inclusive education, but what we have right now is mainstreaming also the law is quiet about what constitutes discrimination.”
Corroborating Adebayo, Akinjide Akinpelu, a trained disability teacher while said “the government need to set up modalities which would ensure the implementation of the disability law.”
Akinpelu said the Federal Government needs to ensure that the provisions of the Disability law are adhered to.
For his part, Barr Danlami Basharu while speaking on “The Nigeria Disability Act vis a vis the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability” mentioned that despite the provision of the National and Lagos State Disability laws, there was no PWD was appointed into any of the cabinets.
He stressed that it is important for the governments to take deliberate actions to involve PWDs in all activities.