Senate on Wednesday at plenary urged President Muhammadu Buhari to provide a five-year post COVID-19 special intervention programme for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
Senate resolution is sequel to the adoption of a motion on “Urgent need to provide Special Presidential Interventions for the persons living with disability in Nigeria”.
The motion was sponsored by Sen. Yusuf Abubakar (APC-Taraba) and 11 other senators as co-sponsors.
Yusuf in his lead debate commended Buhari for signing the discrimination against persons with disability Act 2018 and establishment of National Commission for Persons with Disability.
He, however, said it was a concern that the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2018 had indicated that about 29 million of Nigerian population was people with disability.
He said that the effects of COVID-19 and other issues on people with disability had further exposed the underline inequalities and discriminatory practice faced by people with disability in the country.
This, he said, was resulting in increased poverty.
He expressed concern that people with disability had yet to feel the impact of various Interventions such as N- Power, Presidential Youth Empowerment Scheme, Conditional Cash Transfer to reduce poverty and cushion effect of COVID-19.
This, he said, was caused by the unfriendly conditions attached to the processes of accessing the various interventions.
Contributing, Sen. Ali Ndume (APC-Borno) and Sen. Chukwuka Utazi (PDP-Enugu) urged senators to support the motion given the challenges of persons with disability especially on their inability to receive supports on funding.
Senate, thereafter in its resolution, listed the areas for the interventions to include mass distribution of assistive wheelchairs, prosthesis and orthotics, hearing aids among others to enhance access to educational and independent living.
Senate also urged all Ministries, Department, and Agencies (MDAs) to provide at least 10 per cent of their projects and programmes for the disabilities through the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD).
It further urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing system for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) Micro Finance Bank, to provide Special loan facilities for the disabled through NCPD.
Senate also urged security agencies to retain and convert affected personnel, who became disabled in the course of discharging their official assignment, to less demanding tasks.
It further urged the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development to implement its resolution.
President of Senate Ahmad Lawan in his remark said the motion would bring to bear the importance of ensuring that those challenged were given special attention.(NAN)
