House To Enforce Persons With Disability Act

By Oduyemi Odumade

The House of Representatives, has declared its dedication to fully enforce the Persons With Disability Act.

The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Disability, Bashir Dawodu, also said efforts are ongoing to re-enact the Act as there is a huge lacuna in it that amendments alone will not address all the challenges.

He stated this at a media parley to mark World Childrens Day, focusing on Children with Disabilities and the Disability Act 2018.

According to the the Lawmaker, the committee relates with the conditions of PWDs and that inputs of stakeholders will be collated at the public hearing for the amendment.

He also pointed out that the Speaker, Dr. Tajudeen Abbas has approved the use of sign language in the chambers for effective communication with PWDs.

Also Speaking, the Executive Director, Women and Girls with Albinism Network, Ms Constance Onyemeachi said that children with albinism are first targets for rape and child trafficking.

Onyemeachi also explained that children with albinism have difficulties going to school as they face series of challenges in the classrooms, seeing the board, and sometime abuse from teachers and other children.

She noted that there is a need for awareness to educate people on the care for children with disabilities and to stop discrimination.

A PWD, who is also a Legal practitioner, Mr Itodo Yusuf observed that in all the laws in the country, the rights of children with disabilities is not well spelt out.

A parent of a child with disability, Mrs Juliet Osasumwem-Eboigbe while narrating her ordeal told the committee that her child and other children like her are often neglected in regular schools as there are no special schools for them unlike in the case of the deaf, blind and lame children.

She urged the house of representatives to enact laws establishing schools specifically for children with intellectual disabilities.

Edited By Grace Namiji