Foundation urges Buhari to sign Persons with Disability Bill

A non-governmental organization, Juremi Foundation, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Disability Bill into law in order to give hope to people with disabilities in the country.

The Head, Public Relations of the Foundation, Aisha Abubakar, made the appeal on Tuesday in during a peaceful rally in Abuja.
The rally was organised to create awareness and empower the disabled.

According to Abubakar, assenting to the Bill will help the rights and rehabilitation of over 25 million physically challenged Nigerians living with disabilities.

She said that the walk tagged: Juremi – Ability in Disability (J-AID Walk) is expected to attract over 5,000 individuals adding that as a foundation, they are in support of the Disability Bill.

She said, “we create awareness and sensitise the general public about the importance of creating equal opportunities for physically challenged persons in the society because there is ability in disabilities. We also empower, provide skill acquisition “we don’t want them to be beggars but to have something to give to themselves and to the society.”

One of the physically challenged persons, Mr John Jimoh said, “I will desire that all the states of the federation pass the bill into law because that is the greatest way of assisting people with disability where the enabling legal framework will help them to participate in equal bases with others without been discriminated. I believe it’s the greatest support we can get from government.

“Government should also mainstream development across board by asking question in each of the development approach; how do people with disability benefit from this project,

how do I design the programs and services to be accessible to people with disability knowing that more than 25 million Nigerians are living with one form of disability or the other with more than 80 per cent of them living in rural areas with limited access to social infrastructure.”

Mr Abdulazize Ishaka, Operation Manager, Juremi Foundation also called on the stakeholders, ministries, departments and agencies of government and other key stakeholders to support the rights of people with disabilities through the assent of Mr. President to the Nigerian disability law called the discrimination against persons with disability promotion law 2018.