It is now a crime to discriminate against people with disabilities
House of Representatives has passed a law which makes it a crime for any individual or corporate organisation to discriminate against person with disabilities either in terms of employment or making public offices inaccessible to people with disabilities.
The bill sponsored by Abike Dabiri-Erewa seeks to “Ensure Full Integration of Nigerians with Disability into the Society and Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Them”. The bill prescribes punishment for offenders ranging from prison term or payment of fines as the case may be.
The bill provides that “Persons with disabilities shall have the right to work, on an equal basis with others; this includes the right to opportunity to gain a living by work freely chosen or accepted in a labour market and work environment that is open”.
Section 60(1) of the Bill states that: “No employer or his agent or purported agent shall discriminate against a person with disability in any manner whatsoever and in particular but not limited to: (a) a job application procedure”.
In order to ensure easy access for people with disabilities to promotion like their able counterpart, the bill further prescribes that the disabled worker must not be denied “access or limiting the employee’s access to opportunity for promotion, advancement, transfer or training, or to any other benefit associated with employment”.
It also recommended that every public office buildings should create special parking spaces, special stair cases or lifts for the disabled among several other provisions.
Abike Dabiri-Erewa noted that though the bill suffered a lot of opposition from members of the House, she is happy, it was eventually passed.
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Thank you Jesus!! Finally, Nigeria is learning that disabled people are PEOPLE like you and me. They need to be treated with respect and love and offered the same opportunities as the rest of us!! God bless all the people that stood up for this bill to be passed.
ReplyDeleteI say AMEN to your prayer. This helps the disable to fill like a person in Nigeria .we should not wait for them to ask us for help, before we do it. I have a friend that works in one of the banks that as not been promoted for along time. I do tell her to thank God that she has a job. Now we can fight for her to be promoted. She as a son and she is along without the boys father. Once again thank you to those who stood up for the bill to be passed. God bless Nigeria.
ReplyDeleteGod bless you mightily for this bill. Your generation will ever remain blessed for doing a noble job that past leaders ignored. As for those people that opposed this bill, may God forgive them.
ReplyDeleteIf only we have 10 members like Abike only heaven knows what it would have been for the suffering Nigeria. God bless you my sister. you have the spirit of a mother and understand what it means to be voted to represent others. kudos
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