Disability law excites Albinos, BMO
Mr Jake Epelle, Founder of Albino Foundation has praised President Muhammadu Buhari for enacting the law to stop all forms of discrimination against people living with disability.
Epelle, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the president took a bold step to sign the bill into law.
Epelle, however, emphasised that disability community ought to have been incorporated in the process of signing it.
According to him, the government has taken the bold step by signing the disability law, it should take the second step by setting up small committee, comprising of the government and persons with disability, to look at the bill and hit the ground running on implementation strategy.
“The entire disability community is happy for the fact that the bill has been passed and we are also sad because the President did not deem it fit to invite the community to be part of that story.
“There is a saying that the time is always right to do what is right. The President should please have a rethink and invite the community and handover what he has signed to the leadership,” Epelle said.
He identified the aspect of the Act that would be beneficial to the foundation to include the discrimination and setting up of the commission.
Epelle described discrimination as a major challenge bedeviling the disability community.
The Act encapsulate prohibition of all forms of discrimination against persons with disability and anybody that violate the law would pay a fine of N100,000 or a term of six months imprisonment.
The law imposes a fine of N1 million on corporate bodies.
It also prohibits discrimination against such persons in public transportation facilities, including seaports, railway and airports.
Service providers are expected, by the law, to make provision for the physically, visually, hearing impaired and all persons challenged.
A person with disability has the rights and privileges to education, health care, priority in accommodation and emergencies, and if such rights are violated, the victim can file a lawsuit, claiming damages against any defaulter.
Elated Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has also commended the President for ushering a new life for persons with disabilities in Nigeria.
Buhari assented to the long-delayed Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, during the week.
The Chairman and Secretary of BMO, Messrs Niyi Akinsiju and Cassidy Madueke on Friday in Abuja noted that the new law would henceforth criminalise common discrimination against persons with disabilities in the country.
BMO paid tribute to the president and his administration for getting the law off the ground after its frustration by the Obasanjo and Jonathan governments.
It welcomed the special attention given to the welfare and well-being of the citizens who had endured the pains and neglect imposed on them by their conditions over the years.
The organisation expressed optimism that the law would create new employment opportunities for various professionals in the country, by virtue of the expectations from those who will implement its provisions.
(NAN)
