Any Hope For The Handicapped In Rivers?

Succour came the way of the physically-challenged persons in Rivers State when a bill aimed at bringing relief and welfare to them was thrown open to a public debate at the Rivers State Assembly Complex in Port Harcourt on 10th May, 2012.

The bill titled: “Handicapped Persons Welfare (Enhancement) Bill, 2011”, a private bill sponsored by Hon. Victoria Nyeche, Port Harcourt Constituency I,  has passed through second reading and was committed to House Committee on Social Welfare and Rehabilitation headed by Hon. Legborsi Nwidadah, a member representing Khana Constituency I.

In a welcome speech, Hon. Nwidadah advised that the bill was for everyone both the ones whose problems it addressed and those who might be in need of it in the future. He said suggestions made at the occasion would be conveyed to the House. The legislator enjoined all to participate in making the bill a law.

“The bill is for all of us. It is for our tomorrow. So you have to look at it positively. The committee is going to take from you your suggestions and present it to the House. You are all aware today that some of the physically-challenged today are well educated. There is need to fully integrate them like their counterparts in other parts of the world”, Hon Nwidadah admonished.

The Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Otelemaba Dan Amachree, represented by Hon. Benjamin Horsfall, Asari Toru Constituency II, informed participants that the bill was a private member bill and asked everyone for support. He called for full participation in every aspect  of the debate of the bill. He urged everyone to be part of the process of the bill becoming law.

The Hon. Commissioner for the Ministry of Social Welfare, Hon. Joe Boroma, declared that the bill was for everybody emphasizing that at one point or the other we would all be physically-challenged. He urged the participants to be open-minded in proposing the various amendments to the bill.

The chairman, Joint National Association of Persons With Disability, Mr Frederick Amachree, proposed a change to the name of the bill from physically-challenged People” to Persons Living with Disability”.  He also suggested that the chairman of the council should not be a social worker as proposed in the draft bill, but a person with disability. Continuing, Amachree said Section 4, sub-section 1a of the bill which recognises three nominees from recognised disabled persons association should be increased to six.

The representative of Pride of Africa, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Mrs. Esther Victor, suggested a public-private partnership initiative in order to reduce cost. According to her, since the Amaechi government had adopted the initiative in all major projects executed in the state and it worked, it would also work in running the council for the disabled. She pointed out that the government could partner with firms that were into the business.

Referring to Section 13 and 14 of the bill, Mrs Victor advocated the inclusion of religious bodies and traditional institutions. Also included in the section are schools, theatres or cinemas as well as stadiums.

Considering Section 15, subsection 3 which is on violations and penalties, Mrs Victor proposed a total shut down of corporate bodies that would violate the law for at least one year, because according to her, not every company in the state had direct dealings with the government.

In her submission, the representative of Daughters of Charity of Catholic Diocese of Port Harcourt, Sis. Elma Ekewuba, urged the government to partner with churches in the business of caring for the disabled.

Sis. Ekewuba, however, suggested that a review process should be included in the bill. She said, the absence of review process in our laws had kept many laws in a moribund state.

Proposing an amendment to Section  15 of the bill, Sis. Ekewuba recommended that the section should be in line with the criminal justice system of the country. Continuing, she said the bill should consider the partnership of the church, not only government agencies and non-governmental organisations.

Speaking at the hearing session, a medical practitioner, Dr Allison Otana, advocated a change in the word “Council” (referring to the name of the governing body) to “Commission” which he stated was more omnibus in meaning, with an all-embracing function. Also, the medical practitioner suggested that a rapid response services for the disabled should be included in the bill. This would provide a quick response to disabled persons who might be in crisis.

Dr Otana further argued that the bill should articulate measures to counter disabilities before birth. On who should head the “Commission”, he said it should be headed by a disabled person. He supported the creation of the position of a chief technical adviser who must be a technocrat.

He criticized Section 3, subsection V of the bill which makes the Ministry of Social Welfare the supervising ministry of the council. Rather, he proposed that the council should be an independent body, which could collaborate with any ministry or agency. According to Dr Otana, the council should be funded through the Rivers State Government annual budget.

“The commission should be an omnibus independent body with the power to collaborate with all sectors of the society”, declared Otana.

A physically-challenged person, Eba Emmanuel, hinted that the bill should provide for an employment quota for the disabled. Such quota, he said, should be specific and affect employers of labour both in the public and private sectors.

He raised the issue of scholarship and said the disabled were not considered in the scheme. He proposed the establishment of vocational centres for the disabled in all the 23 local government councils of the state. Mr Emmanuel supported Dr Otana’s proposal that the name “Council” in the bill, be dropped for “Commission”.

Another physically-challenged, David Baraton, submitted that the essence of the bill was to eliminate all forms of discrimination. Therefore, the words handicapped, disability, physically – challenged etc, should be expunged from the bill. And in its place, the word or phrase “A person with special name” should be considered.

Mr Baraton also asked for ten per cent of the state’s resources to be channeled to disabled persons in the state. He did suggest that the disabled should be represented on the board of every parastatal or agency in the state, this, according to him, should include the State Pilgrims Welfare Board. He appealed to the government to include disabled persons in those who embark on pilgrimage.

Hon. (Dr) Innocent Barikor, Gokana Constituency, emphasized the importance of education and alluded to it as the “transformational platform” on which a society could attain growth. He called for a provision in the bill that would guarantee the proper education of the handicapped or disabled. He also agreed with those who suggested that the name of the governing body be changed from “Council” to “Commission”.

In his closing remarks, the Clark of the State House of Assembly, Sir Emmanuel Ogele, thanked the participants and assured them that their presentations would be considered.

Arnold Alalibo