Group urges President to sign National Disability Bill

The Coalition of Disability Organisation (CODO), on Monday, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the National Disability Bill into law to improve the standard of living of Persons with disabilities (PWDs).

The Convener, CODO, Mr David Anyaele, in a statement in Abuja, said that the group had resolved not to sleep until President Buhari fulfilled his promises to end discrimination and stigmatisation against persons with disabilities in Nigeria.

According to him, Buhari, the then presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015, pledged to end discrimination and stigmatisation against persons with disabilities in Nigeria, if elected into office.

Anyaele explained that Buhari, at a town hall meeting tagged: “The Candidate”, said that he was not aware of the disability bill and that the National Assembly had not transmitted it to his office.

“We are worried that at a televised Presidential Town hall meeting held on the 16th of January 2019, the President said he is not aware of the bill and that the National Assembly is yet to transmit the bill to his office.

“We protested to the leadership of the National Assembly for the speedy completion of action on the National Disability Bill to enable speedy transmission to President Buhari for assent.

“As the primary beneficiary of the bill when assented to by the President, we wish to inform the President and his team that the National Disability Bill has been transmitted to his office.

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“The bill has been transmitted to the president’s office since December 18, 2018, for his assent.

“We appeal to President Buhari to fulfil the promises he made to persons with disabilities at Lafia, Nasarawa State, on March 21, 2015, as the Presidential Candidate of APC.

“We plead that he signs the National Disability Bill without further delay as the bill has been in his office for the past 29 days,’’ he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Coalition of Disability Organisations is an organisation committed to promoting social inclusion, human rights and participation of all in governance irrespective of ability or disability.

The organisation exists through direct response to the need for effective and efficient engagement of critical stakeholders to drive a campaign for the participation of Nigerians with disabilities in all facet of National development.