Despite Assuring Int’l Community, JonathanYet to Sign Bill on Persons with Disabilities

James Emejo Despite assuring the international community in New York in 2013 that he would cater for persons living with disabilities, President Goodluck Jonathan is yet to sign the bill wmeant to improve the wellbeing of beneficiary as well as improve the country’s standing in the community of nations.

Also, the federal government in 2007 ratified the convention on the rights of people with disabilities but is yet to fully comply with its dictates.

Already, Senate and the House of Representatives have passed the bill which is currently awaiting the president’s consent.

The bill essentially seeks to protect the rights and privileges of people living with disabilities in the country and it passage could mean that the group would benefit from direct funding from the treasury while they would be taken into consideration in all policy decisions.

And assenting to the bill could also empower persons with disabilities to sue the federal government whenever their rights are violated.

Sources close to the Presidency told THISDAY that President Jonathan was taking his time to properly study the letters of the bill before signing.

But it remains unclear if he would assent to the bill before the May 29 handover date to a new administration.

Speaking in an interview with THISDAY in Abuja, National Coordinator/Chief Executive, Federal Civil Service Staff with Disabilities (FCSSWD), Alhaji Iliasu Abdul-Rauf, appealed to the president to assent to the bill before leaving office.

He said: “The only way we can show the global world that we are serious is to sign this bill so that the labour which Mr. President laboured, another person will not take the glory because that’s the way I look at it. He has seriously worked towards this bill and it’s now for him to endorse it so that the glory will be for him. But I am not saying he should not study it thoroughly, he has his reasons but we are only appealing.”