Persons with disabilities tackle Buhari over comment on bill protecting them

The Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) has demanded assent to the act which prohibits all forms of discrimination against them.

The bill had been sent by the national assembly to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent.

While speaking at a town hall meeting organised for presidential candidates and their running mates, Buhari said he had not seen the bill.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo said the bill is still with the lawmakers.

But a letter has since been circulation suggesting that the bill was transmitted to the president for action.

Speaking with journalists on Tuesday, Ekaete Judith Umoh, JONAPWD national president, said the absence of the law is the reason Nigerians with disabilities have continued to suffer “untold hardship”.

Umoh noted that since 1999, “successive presidents have outrightly refused to sign the national disability bill into law without any clear and logical reasons”.

“Nigerians with disability are still yet to recover from the state of shock and disappointment,at the statement of Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari that he is not aware of the existence of the National Disability Bill – titled an act to prohibits all forms of discrimination against persons with disabilities, which the national assembly had sent to him for his assent,” he said.

“As we speak, the absence of a national disability law is the reason why there are about seven million out of school children with disabilities; about 15 million unemployed youths with dis abilities; and the lack of accessible and inclusive electoral process for nearly 10 million voters with disabilities to participate effectively in the electoral process.

“Over 27 million Nigerians with disabilities call on well meaning Nigerians and the international community to appeal to the Nigerian government to do the obvious needful by ensuring immediate passage and signing of the national disability bill into law.

“We are aware that the national assembly has passed and harmonised the national disability bill and there is evidence to show that the bill has been transmitted to the president for his assent.

“Nigerians with disability will continue to reject in the strongest possible terms, this unacceptable trend of refusal of Presidential assent to the national disability bill.”

He added that no reason given would be acceptable to Nigerians with disabilities if the bill is not signed into law.