ABEOKUTA – The Ogun State chapter of Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities (JONAPWD), has demanded the full implementation of the law prohibiting discrimination against persons with disabilities in Nigeria.
The association also called for stiffer punishment for anyone found guilty of discriminating against Persons Living With Disabilities (PLWD).
The group made the call in a statement jointly signed by its chairman, Dr. Ebonhor Michael Ndidi and the secretary, Mr Femi Adeosun and made available to journalists in Abeokuta on Sunday.
JONAPWD said, the call became imperative following the alleged ill-treatment given to Adebola Daniel, the son of former Ogun state governor, Gbenga Daniel by the management of a popular food outlet, Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Adebola, a wheelchair user was said to have been denied access to the KFC outlet within the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos last week with the manager quoted as saying, “No wheelchair allowed.”
JONAPWD said, as an organisation set up promote the rights and development Nigerians with disabilities, it would not rest until the discrimination of persons with disabilities in Nigeria is eradicated.
The statement reads: “We write to express our condemnation in totality on discriminatory practice meted to Adebola Daniel who is a person with disability, our son who is the son of the current serving Senator from Ogun East Senatorial District by KFC for denying him access to their facility being a wheelchair user.
“Such form of discrimination and prejudices are daily ordeals encountered by persons with disabilities at school, workplace, market, public and private places of human convergence which makes the National and sub-national eco spaces less inclusive and highly inaccessible.
“We therefore use this occasion to demand for the full implementation of the law prohibiting discrimination against persons with disabilities in Nigeria and Ogun state in particular.
“The need for sub-national government to domesticate this law in some states that are yet to replicate this law.
“The National Assembly and state Houses of assembly should straighten their over sight function through the committee on disabilities matters in order to ensure effective feedback on impact of government programmes on persons with disabilities.”
