Senate will uphold rights of disabled persons — Saraki

Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has said that the National Assembly will prioritise bills aimed at protecting the rights of persons living with disabilities in the country. Saraki, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sanni Onogu, gave the pledge when the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities led by its Executive Director, Mr David Anyaele, visited him in Abuja. According to Saraki, it does not speak well of any country where people living with disabilities are neglected or denied access to basic amenities including access to justice. Saraki said: “I want to assure you that the eighth Senate is truly committed to rejig and redefine the issues. I think what has happened in the past is the issue of not making the rights of people with special needs a priority. “I want to assure you that the eighth Senate will not stop. We are your partners. We are ready to work to protect your rights and to ensure there is a departure from what has happened in the past. “It is by providing those laws that we will provide the enabling environment that will redefine these types of challenges. It is not good for us as a country for our disabled persons to feel neglected and deprived and I want to assure you that we will work to change the narrative in the eighth Senate,” he said. Earlier, the Executive Director of Centre for Citizens with Disabilities, Mr David Anyaele, lamented that people with disabilities in the country find it difficult to access public infrastructure and justice nationwide. He decried a situation where about 25million Nigerians living with disabilities and their families are being caged as a result of inability to care for their loved ones. According to him, even the Ministry of Women Affairs which coordinates other line agencies for the rehabilitation of persons with disabilities in the country has not made adequate provision for easy access to its building. Anyaele said: “Our purpose of coming to your office today is to share with you the findings of our research on access to public infrastructure in Nigeria. It will interest you to know that more than 99.5 per cent of public infrastructure in Nigeria is not accessible to persons with disabilities. “In fact, all the line ministries, department and agencies that have been earmarked for the national policy on the rehabilitation of persons with disabilities are not accessible including the Coordinating Ministry - Ministry of Women Affairs,” he said.