Physically Challenged Persons Protest Non-Signing of Disability Bill in Osun

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

Members of the Joint National Association of Persons With Disability (JONAPWD) yesterday staged a peaceful protest at the Osun State Governor’s Office in Abere, Oshogbo, to demand the signing of the disability bill in the state.

The physically challenged persons in their numbers carried placards with different inscriptions: ‘Show Commitments to Disability Rights’; ‘We Are Not Second Citizens in Our Country, We Have Equal Rights’; ‘Nothing About Us Without Us’; ‘Disability Inclusion is Essential To Good Governance’, among others.

While speaking, the Secretary of the group, Sunday Smith, said Persons With Disability from different clusters staged a peaceful and well-coordinated protest to demand the signing of the Disability Bill into law in the state.”

Smith said the essence of protest was not to attack the present government but to see how the bill of PWD would be signed into law.

He further noted that when the bill is signed into law, the members would leverage on it, saying unemployment, education, social attention, and social discrimination will be aborted.

According to him, “We are appealing to the government under the administration of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola to sign the bill and make it a reality.”

In the same, a member, Lanre Olakusibe, urged the state government to sign the Disability Bill into law, saying the bill has been signed into law at the federal level, noting that it is important to sign the bill into law to have a disability-inclusive society.

However, the ex-President of the group, Kehinde Onitiju, commended Governor Oyetola for his support for the persons with disability in the state, urging the governor to crown his efforts by signing the bill into law.

Addressing the protesters, the Head of Service, Dr. Festus Oyebade, said the present administration of Governor Oyetola is very concerned about the affair of persons with disability.

Oyebade disclosed that Oyetola has given automatic employment to all the applicants during the recruitment of teachers in the state.

He, however, assured the group that the governor would sign the bill before his first tenure comes to an end.