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The Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Julius Ihonvbere, has decried the non-implementation of the Prohibition Against Persons With Disabilities Act by agencies in both the public and private sectors of the economy.
The professor of Political Science stressed that unless the attitude towards the law is changed, the situation will remain the same.
Ihonvbere, who stated this at a public hearing by the House Committee on Disability Matters on Monday in Abuja, said many Nigerians, including heads of government agencies, believe that the Act, which was signed into law in 2018 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, is “a mere joke.”
The Edo lawmaker lamented the little or no recognition of the contributions of persons with disabilities to national development, noting that the National Orientation Agency is only beginning to sensitise Nigerians on the importance of the law.
He also quoted the World Health Organisation report, which states that Nigeria accounts for about 20 million out of the 195 million persons with disabilities around the world, representing about 3.9 per cent of the total.
“Until something drastic is done, this Act will just remain on paper and will not be implemented. Not even 5 per cent since 2018 has been achieved in trying to implement this Act.
“It is not rocket science to adjust buildings to make accessibility possible and to give access to persons with disabilities.
“If you think that you are in Nigeria and that the law is very strong; travel abroad and, when you see the sign for spaces for persons with disabilities, go and park there. It is someone who sees you parking there without the tag that will call the police,” he said.
According to Ihonvbere, the challenge in the implementation of the law is a lack of political will by the relevant authorities to get things done.
“We need to amend that law to impose a fine of N10 million for corporate bodies who disobey the law and N2 million for individuals, along with one year in jail.
“Even in our public transportation, there is no consideration. What kind of people have we become?” he said.
That said, the House Leader condemned the attitude of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies in the implementation of the Act.
He continued, “Whereas Section 2 provides for the promotion of awareness regarding (a) the rights, respect, and dignity of persons with disabilities; and (b) the capabilities, achievements, and contributions of persons with disabilities to society, this has hardly been done.
“Even the National Orientation Agency is only just beginning to find its feet and assure Nigerians that the law exists.
“The issue of disability can happen to anybody, anytime and anywhere. Nigerians like to pretend and lie to themselves, and so, anybody can be a victim.
“The Act protects the rights and welfare of persons with disabilities in Nigeria, as enunciated by Part V, which provides for liberty, the right to education, health, and priority consideration in queues, accommodation, and emergencies.
“Yet, MDAs have yet to implement the Act even at this moment as we speak. If this is allowed to continue, it will cause severe damage to our socioeconomic development and further impair our understanding as a people without the will to do the right thing.”
On his part, the Chairman of the Committee, Bashiru Dawodu, said the public hearing was organised to gather information from the disability community, particularly on the level of implementation of the Disability Act.
