Scores of persons living with disabilities, on Friday, took to the streets in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory to stage a peaceful protest over the non-implementation of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, a year after it was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The protesters under the umbrella of “Center for Citizens with Disabilities” pleaded with President Buhari to expedite action implement the Act which has a transition period of five years
Addressing journalists during the road walk the Executive Director of the Center, David Anyaele expressed displeasure at the lukewarm and insensitive attitude of the government toward the implementation of the act.
The protesters visited various government offices including the Ministry of Justice and the office of Secretary to the Government of federation to register to press home their demands.
They vowed to inspect all public buildings in the country to ascertain the level of their compliance as contained in the Act and threatened to shut down all offices with non-compliance with the provisions of the Act.
The Act which prohibits discrimination against the physically challenged in public buildings, transportation facilities, including seaports, railways and airports, and compels service providers to make adequate provisions for them.
It also enforced their rights and privileges to education, healthcare, priority in accommodation and emergencies.
At the entrance to the office of the Secretary to the Government of Federation, SGF, the protesters converted the place to a dancing floor with several loudspeakers supplying music to their delight.
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Addressing the crowd, Comrade Anyaele said, anybody who is close to Mr Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of Federation, should tell him, his August visitors are here waiting for him
“We are here to create awareness on the need to establish the Commission on Disabilities, as stipulated by the Act, establish the Commission so that the provisions of the Act can be fully implemented
” We are here to sensitize him, we know he is a man of honour, if is adequately educated about the act, the Commission will be put in place ant time from today, we have suffered enough, we don’t want to go back to the streets again
“We have about 27m disabilities in Nigeria, the disability act is in place now, why delaying its implementation, let the government star its implementation with the establishment of the Commission, nobody is immune against disability, it can be anybody in a twinkle of an eyes
” It is disheartening that one year the President had signed the Act into law, the SGF had refused to implement the act. We told him we are coming, we are here now but not willing to see disabled people, for 18 years we able to secure an act signed on January 17, 2019, Federal Ministry of Information by the provisions of the Act is to create awareness for the Act but as of today the Ministry has nothing and efforts to see the Minister on this had failed
” We have also made several attempts to see the SGF on the same issue but we heard that he said that he was not aware of the National disability Act, we are here to educate him, we are here to create awareness, we need the Commission now”
However, some top officials from the SGF office later came to appeal to the protesters with assurances that necessary steps were in top gear to put in place the Commission as being demanded.
The shut gate was later opened partially to allow vehicular and human movement a while few of the representatives of the protesters accompanied the SGF representatives to a closed session with the SGF.
and then