Chairman of House Committee on Banking Regulations, Bello El-Rufai has said that financial institutions that fail to provide accessibility-friendly facilities for people with disabilities (PWDs) will be fined.
Gatekeepers News reports that El-Rufai made the announcement while speaking at a multi-stakeholder forum on disability and inclusive governance in Nigeria, on Tuesday in Abuja.
He expressed discontent with the non-enforcement of the Disability Act, saying banks need to quickly put in place disability-friendly facilities such as ramps, rails, special toilets, and others.
He further assured stakeholders of the support of his committee for a proposed amendment to Disability Act, noting that over 30 million Nigerian PWDs should be treated well.
Chairman of the committee on disability matters, Bashiru Dawodu noted that it is worrisome that PWDs in Nigeria lack access to education, and employment opportunities and have to deal with discriminatory practices.
According to Dawodu, three bills are being considered by the house to address the problems.
He added that his committee will provide measures meant to enforce the Act signed into law in 2015 by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Chairman of the House Committee on Health Institutions, Amos Magaji expressed dissatisfaction over the absence of facilities needed by PWDs to access medical care.
House majority leader, Julius Ihonvbere, while speaking, described the speaker Tajudeen Abbas-led House of Representatives as the most friendly chamber to PWDs.
He further emphasised the need for public sensitisation to issues relating to inclusion of PWDs in governance.
Co-chairman of Accelerated Disability Inclusion in Emergencies (ADIE), Christian Agbo urged governments at all levels to provide accessible transportation and free transport vouchers, a stand-alone social welfare programme for PWDs, including food banks, and financial assistance.
Agbo proposed an amendment to the Disability Act to make it compulsory for 10 percent of social intervention programmes of all federal ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to be allocated to PWDs.
