Yemisi Izuora
Lagos state commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Agboola Dabiri has commended the Center for Citizens With Disabilities, CCD, for the research work it conducted on the Lagos state Special Persons Law.
Dabiri who received the CCD executive director, David Anyaele, on the directive of the governor, Akinwumi Ambode today, said the governor has put as one his administrations priority, issues that affect people with disabilities.
He said from what he has gathered, that CCD has demonstrated a high level of integrity, honesty in the discharge of its responsibilities by making indebt research in the implementation of the law.
The Commissioner however, charged the Center to work out modalities of bringing various disability groups into a manageable group. According to Dabiri, there are several disability groups that are not functional and not organized which he said is frustrating effort of government to support their cause.
Earlier, in his remarks, David Anyaele explained that the purpose of the visit was to intimate government of the Center’s finding with regard to implementation of the law.
Anyaele, commended the Lagos state government for promulgating the Lagos State Special Persons Law, LSSPL which specifically seeks to protect People With Disabilities, PWDs and uphold their rights.
Oriental News Nigeria, reports that the Center in a report just released in Lagos at the weekend observed though law is coming with good intention but it’s Implementation is facing significant challenges.
At the presentation, Anyaele, said finding of the report clearly shows that policy actors in the state are completely aware of the legislation but do not have thorough knowledge of its provisions, while at the same time a substantial number of PWDs are not aware of the existence of the law.
According to Anyaele, the law is weakly enforced and compliance with the provisions is generally poor which is evident in the findings around accessibility, inclusion and welfare of PWDs.
“The Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, in this study were fairly accessible but facilities were still missing and the existing facilities such as specialised parking spaces are not available for the use of PWDs”, he said, adding that mechanism to handle the welfare of PWDs varied from one MDA to the other as welfare of PWDs was attributed to existence of subsidized or free health services, free education and employment of PWDs.
The study therefore recommended reorientation of MDA officials on the LSSPL and disability issues by extension to ensure issues affecting them remain important and increase the level of knowledge of the law.
It suggested further that the challenges faced by the PWDs be managed through a multi sectoral approach and government should come up with more effective ways to ensure enforcement of the law.
Also, it called on PWDs through various organizations they belong to be sensitized on the law so as to hold officers accountable where infractions are observed.