The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mallam Abubakar Malami has reassured that the Disability Bill passed by the National Assembly will soon receive Presidential Assent.

While expressing the hope that President Muhammed Buhari will assent to the bill, Malami also promised that the Federal Ministry of Justice will collaborate with the Centre for Citizens Disabilities (CCD), the organisation spearheading the campaign for its endorsement and the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Disability Matters, to ensure that justice is done to the Disability Bill, a legal framework to protect the rights and welfare of Persons Living with Disabilities (PWDs).

Receiving the CCD team which paid a visit to his office in Abuja, Malami, who restated the commitment of the present administration towards the welfare of the PWDs, said the administration has always made the welfare of persons with disabilities top on its agenda by appointing a Senior Special Assistant, SSA, to the President on Disability Matters.

The CCD team led by its Executive Director, Mr David Anyaele were at the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, to seek his buy-in on the Disability Bill that is presently awaiting presidential assent following its harmonization by the two chambers of the National Assembly.

In Malami’s words “I want to register my sincere appreciation and commitment of the Federal Ministry of Justice to work with Centre for Citizens with Disabilities and SSA to the President on Disability Matters in terms of having at the end of the day a bill that will stand the test of time in terms of provision for the welfare of persons with disabilities”

In her unrelenting effort to ensure that the Disability Bill gain presidential assent, the CCD is seeking collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Justice in this quest.

While commending the AGF for expressing willingness to ensure that the bill gains presidential assent, Mr. Anyaele who noted that the bill will ensure that all forms of discrimination against the PWDs in the country becomes a thing of the past, said the eventual signing of the bill into an Act will also set Nigeria at par with international standards on the protection of rights and welfare of persons with disabilities.

The high-point of the event was the presentation of two copies of Policy Brief titled Policy Proposal to Support the Urgent Assent of Nigeria Disability Bill 2018 to the AGF by the Executive Director of CCD.

Anyaele said in an interview with The Guardian that the Disability Bill is in fulfilment of Nigeria’s obligation to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol signed and ratified on May 28th, 2007 and October 27th, 2008 respectively. The convention according to him, seeks “To promote , protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity”.

This is in addition to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention on the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment of (Disabled) No 159 0f 1983 endorsed by Nigeria on July 14th, 2010 which provides for the employment of Persons with Disabilities without discrimination, makes the signing of the Disability Bill in synch with international treaties.

The Disability Bill makes provision for prohibition of all forms of discrimination on the ground of disability. It also provides for the right of access to public premises, which is necessary for the participation of the PWDs in the society on equal basis with others. The bill further provides for access to goods, services, facilities, accessibility of vehicles, waiver of charges on assistive equipment, reserved spaces, access to seaports and railways, assistive service and airline.

While making provision for the setting up of the National Commission for Persons with Disability, it also prohibits the use of PWDs in soliciting for alms and penalty. It provides for freedom of movement, right to free education, inclusiveness of education, free education for special education personnel, free healthcare provisions, special communication at hospitals, equal right to work, job security and accommodation as well as participation in politics among others.