The Nigerian House of Representatives is preparing to take actions against government institutions that does not implement the Physically Challenged (Empowerment) Bill 2017 when passed into law.
The bill seeks to reserve at least 20% per cent of government work force for people living with disabilities excluding midgets while seeking to criminalise the non-implementation.
The bill, which was proposed by Speaker of the HoR, Femi Gbajabiamiala, was first presented in the 8th National Assembly, was reintroduced and passed the first reading in July 2019.
Gbajabiamila said 20 per cent of available jobs should be reserved for “qualified physically challenged persons” across every ministry, agency and parastatal.
The bill partly reads, “Upon the commencement of this Act, all Federal Government ministries, departments, agencies and companies shall submit yearly reports not later than the first quarter of every year to the National Assembly containing details of all employment, including details of the physically challenged persons employed in the previous year.
“The National Assembly shall within three weeks of the receipt of the reports of the ministries, departments, agencies and companies consider same and if not satisfied with the reports, pass appropriate resolutions that will ensure full implementation/compliance with the provisions of this Act, and such resolution(s) shall be implemented by the President.
“In giving effect to the provisions of this Act, all ministries, departments, agencies and companies to which this Act applies shall provide all relevant facilities to ease ingress and egress of the physically challenged in the workplace.”
However, the proposal stated, “No physically challenged person shall be employed under this Act unless such a physically challenged person possesses the minimum qualifications for the job in the relevant ministry, department, agency or company.”
The bill defined a physically challenged person as a blind person, a person whose either one or both upper and lower limbs have been amputated, any person that is deaf and/or dumb, any person whose limb(s) has/have not been amputated but is unable to walk easily and freely having been affected by polio or any other cause.
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