Stakeholders have expressed concern over delay in the domestication of Disability Act in Benue state and called on government to expedite passage of the law in the state.
Speaking during the stakeholders’ consultative meeting to domesticate the disability law in Benue state held Tuesday in Makurdi in partnership with Inclusive friends Association (IFA), Hope Alive for Possibilities Initiative (HAPI) and JONAPWD, the Director General, Bureau for International Cooperation and Development, Dr Leonard Viashima, represented by the Technical Adviser on Bureau for International Cooperation and Development, Mr John Akuse, however said governor Alia’s administration was willing to domesticate the law in Benue state.
In his address, the Personal Assistant to the Governor on Disabilities, Mr Bem Anshe, who is also the chairman of JONAPWD, stressed the need for the domestication of the law in Benue, saying it would facilitate the inclusion of people with disability in governance.
Although Anshe decried the non-passage of the law in the state and lamented that Benue was the only state in the North Central yet to domesticate it, he assured that his principal, governor Alia, would not hesitate to push the Act to the state assembly for assent.
“I want to assure the Implementing partners that as soon as this bill gets to His Excellency, he will not hesitate to send same to the Benue state house of assembly assent”, Anshe said.
He thanked HAPI and other partners for promoting the rights of PWDs in Benue State and the country at large.
Earlier in her remarks, the Executive Director of IFA, Grace Jerry, represented by the Programme Manager of IFA, Mr Stephen Idoko, noted that despite the challenges, she was confident that the forum would achieve its objective if all worked together.
She noted that the presence of stakeholders in the meeting reaffirmed the collective commitment to making a lasting impact on the lives of persons with disabilities in the state.
Also speaking acting executive secretary, Benue State Rehabilitation Board, Mr Mbakindev Alexander, pointed out that when the law was enacted at the federal level in 2019, “we made concerted efforts to domesticate it but the efforts did not yield any result”. He therefore expressed delight that a group of persons were coming to assist them to actualize it.
“At the Benue State Rehabilitation Board, we have been operating for more than 20 years now under a law that is not that strong enough to provide for the well being of people with disabilities. So, it’s very commendable for those people coming to enact the law that will give more powers for us to work efficiently and provide for the well-being of people with disabilities across the 23 local government areas of the state”, Mbakindev said.
On her part, Prof. Christy Anyogo from IFA expressed hope that Benue would soon join the league of states that have domesticated the disability law, saying governor Hyacinth Alia never looks back on whatever he wants to do.
The consultative forum with the topics: “Legal Implications of the Draft Bill, Alignment with Existing State Laws and Policies, Potential Challenges and Opportunities for Implementation was attended by stakeholders from the state ministry of Women Affairs, ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, traditional rulers, religious leaders, social investment programme agency, Albinism association of Nigeria, leprosy survivors and spinal cord injury.
