The Kwara State House of Assembly has committed to amending the state’s Persons With Disabilities Law of 2016 to address identified irregularities and align it with federal standards.
The Deputy Clerk of the Kwara House of Assembly, Malam Nasiru Kareem, shared this assurance on Monday in Ilorin while receiving representatives from Connected Development, a Non-Governmental Organisation, during their advocacy visit.
Kareem emphasized the need for the amendment to facilitate the full implementation of the PWD Act, noting Kwara was among the pioneer states to pass such a law even before the Federal Government enacted its own.
In 2016, the Kwara Assembly passed the PWD law, introduced by Aisha Ibrahim and seconded by Hon. Abdulrafiu Abdulrahman.
However, the bill was recently returned for revision, specifically regarding Part 2 on Administrative Organisation, which conflicts with the federal Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act of 2018.
The Kwara law currently states, “There shall be an Executive Secretary for the office, who must be a person with appropriate experience and knowledge on matters relating to the care and maintenance of people with disabilities.”
By contrast, the federal PWD Act mandates that the Executive Secretary should be a person with a disability who also has relevant experience.
Kareem assured that the Assembly would make the necessary changes to bring the state law in line with the federal standard and international best practices.
Earlier, the CODE’s Supporting Officer in Kwara, Mr. Kehinde Akinsola, explained that the visit aimed to update the Assembly on its Project Trust initiative, which seeks to strengthen public trust in government and its projects.
Akinsola highlighted CODE’s role in fostering accountability by bringing together a “Community of Practice” to educate citizens on engaging with lawmakers and tracking government projects.
“We also conduct radio programs to reach the grassroots and promote awareness of the need for trust, which supports good governance,” Akinsola said. “We advocate for an inclusive government that gives everyone a sense of belonging, which is why we’re pushing for amendments to the PWD Act in Kwara.”
