The Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate has promised to fill 5 percent of his administrations appointment with people with disabilities if he wins the Feb presidential election.
Hayatu Gwaro, the national coordinator, the Atiku-Okowa campaign council for PWDs, said this on the weekend in Abuja.
Nigeria boasts of over 35 million PWDs, and the Discrimination Act 2018 already affirms 5 percent of appointments for them in corporate and public settings.
Gwarzo said the 5 percent Atiku Abubakar promised is even a lot for PWDs to ask for.
“And it is better to start (with something) than none and when we start, as time goes on, he may increase the number to 10% or even 15%.”
President Muhammadu Buhari who assented to the bill in 2019 has yet to obey the spirit and letter of the law. The total number of PWDs included in his administration is not clear yet.
He, however, appointed Samuel Ankeli as Senior Special Assistant on Disability Matters.
Ankeli, a blind lecturer, headed the PWD department of the APC presidential campaign council in 2019.
The APC and other parties, including the Labour Party, have also promised the PWDs an inclusive government in 2023.
Apart from the 5 percent representation, a number of the Act's provisions have not been given enough attention for enforcement and implementation.
The Act mandates all public buildings and infrastructure in existence before the enactment to undergo changes for accessibility in five years. There many public infrastructure pieces that are yet to comply.
