Kogi Urged to Draft Bill, Establish Disability Commission to Protect PWDS

Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja

Kogi State Government has been urged to initiate and draft a bill for the State Disability Commission as it is no longer news that following years of relentless advocacy by human rights group and Organisations of Persons with Disability (OPDs) the Nigerian Disability Bill was passed by the 8th National Assembly on March 28th ,2018 and signed into law by the President Muhammadu Buhari on January 23, 2019.

Chairman of South-west Nigeria Association of the Deaf, Mr. Suleiman Akinremi, who guest speaker at celebration of the 2021 International Day for Persons With Disabilities made the call in Lokoja, yesterday.

Akinremi explained that this seeks to criminalise discrimination against persons with disabilities and it was no small feat as it is Nigeria’s first step in fulfilment of its obligations as a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of persons with disabilities (CRPD).

According to him, six states in the South-west had since signed the Disability Bill and established commissions for the persons with disabilities in their respective states.

“It now behoves the Kogi State Government and all human rights advocates and activists in Kogi State to take steps toward drafting the state’s own Disability Bill, being an independent arm of government. This is necessary in order to ensure equal treatment and participation of people with disabilities across the state and elevate the progressive image of Kogi state,” he said.

He described disability as the consequences of an impairment that may be physical, cognitive, mental sensory, emotional development or some combination of these.

The State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Fatima Kabir Buba, said that persons with disabilities are very important segment of our population that require special treatment, saying that statistics have it that over one billion persons throughout the world live with one form of disability or the other, considering the large population of those living with disabilities, the United Nations opted for a day (3rd December every year) for which global community would come together to promote awareness and mobilise support for all persons with disabilities.

The commissioner who was represented by the Acting Permanent Secretary, Mr. Aleni Emmanuel Allenclay, noted that on September 23, 2013 the UN General Assembly convened the first historic high level meeting on disability and development aimed at creating a fully disable agenda inclusive society.

“The theme for this year celebration is ‘Leadership and Participation of People with Disabilities Towards an Inclusive Accessible and Sustainable post-COVID-19 world.”

The commissioner pointed out that hence a total number over 200 Persons With Disabilities got COVID-19 palliative of N5,000 to N10,000 this rear.

“The administration of new direction agenda under the leadership of His Excellency, the Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello is working assiduously towards giving a new lease of life to PWDS in the area of education, healthcare, empowerment and legal support system as well as main streams them into the State Development Plan.

“At this juncture, I urge every indigene and non indigenes of Kogi State in government, business, civil societies and all walks of life to join hands with us to build an inclusive society suitable for all and sundry,” she added.