National Assembly to pass laws making it illegal to discriminate against the disabled

NIGERIA'S National Assembly is looking to pass new laws that will punish government departments who discriminate against people with disabilities when it comes to employing then according to the chief whip of the senate Senator Ali Ndume.

According to Senator Ndume, plans are afoot to provide strict sanctions against public entities involved in the rejection of people living with disabilities. This, he said, would be done through amendment of laws establishing the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities.

Speaking earlier today, when the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) para-soccer team honoured him with an award in Abuja, Senator Ndume lamented the discrimination and refusal of some ministries, departments and agencies to engage persons living with disabilities. He said, persons living with disabilities with relevant qualifications in their field of study should be employed to contribute their quota to the system.

Senator Ndume added: “This is the para-soccer team of the FCT, they want to honour me. We’ve been supporting people with disabilities. These people have families and they have made us proud. They’ve won laurels for Nigeria. This team was founded over 30 years ago.

“I want to donate N1m to support FCT para-soccer. I’ll arrange for you to meet the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike. He will give you all the support.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu believes in his Renewed Hope Agenda. We’ll have the national event in a grandeur manner and all major political leaders will be there. We can arrange that this year. This year will be a year of Renewed Hope for every Nigerian.

“We’ll make it mandatory for every ministry, department and agency of the government to employ people with disabilities. They’ll be placed in offices and respected, become chief executives of such government agencies and permanent secretaries. We’ve had a disabled senator who was the chief whip.”