The Akwa Ibom State legislature is set to enact a law that will guarantee equal opportunity in all aspects of living in the society, and as well safeguard the rights of physically challenged persons in the state.
Speaker. Onofiok Luke gave the assurance, Monday while declaring open a public hearing at the House of Assembly on the ‘Bill for a law to protect the physically challenged persons against all forms of discriminations and to provide for equal opportunities in all aspect of living in the society and for connected purposes’. Barr. Luke, who was represented by the member for Ibiono Ibom, Rt. Hon. Barr. Ime Okon, said the bill which is before the House further affirms the commitment of the state legislature in the provision of a legal frame work that would checkmate the ugly trend of discrimination against physically challenged persons.
It would be recalled that Hon. Luke sponsored the bill last year before he became the Speaker of the House; As the Ibiono Ibom representative Rt. Hon. Ime Okon explains “It is important and interesting to state at this point that this bill was sponsored by Rt. Hon. Barr. Onofiok Luke, as he then was before he became the Speaker, and it was the first member bill in the 6th assembly.
This underscored the passion that he has for the physically challenged persons in our society. As a demonstration of that passion for the development of the physically challenged, I want to place on record that he has severally engaged physically challenged persons as his personal staff in the past and at present. These include one of his Protocol Officers, Mrs Glory Otu Archibong who is here today”.
Describing the bill as a priority bill, the Speaker noted that the bill will provide the legal framework for the checkmating of the ugly trend of discrimination against physically persons in the society.
“This is a priority bill because it will provide the legal framework for the checkmating of ugly trend of discrimination against physically challenged persons I am confident that, when passed into law, this bill will also guarantee equal opportunities in all aspects of living in the society”.
“Let me note that the 6th assembly, christened the people’s Assembly recognizes the pivotal role physically challenged persons play in the development of our state in particular and the country in general. From sports to politics, our physically challenged brothers and sisters play very prominent roles in our society every single day”.
Rt. Hon. Luke thanked stakeholders for honoring the House invitation, assuring that their input would be useful in the harmonization of the bill towards ensuring that all sheds of opinion are ably captured in the legislative process, before it becomes a law.
Also acknowledging the leading role played by the Speaker of the House in championing the cause of the physically challenged, the former Speaker of the House, and Ibesikpo Asutan representative, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Uko recalled how the Nsit Ubium representative, Rt. Hon. Luke approached him and informed him of his intention to introduce a bill on the floor of the House to safeguard the rights of physically challenged persons in the state, noting that public hearing was in tandem with the preparedness of the 6th assembly to affirm its position as the peoples Assembly.
In her address, the Chairman of the House Committee on Women Affairs, Social Welfare/Special Matters, Hon. Felicia Bassey who also double as Deputy Speaker of the House, explained that essence of the public hearing was in recognition of the quality and impact that the proposed law would have on the society. She appreciated the lead sponsor of the bill, Barr. Onofiok Luke and eleven other sponsors for rising in defence of the disabled, arguing that the proposed law will bring succor to them when passed.
Submission of memoranda by individuals, organizations, stakeholders and other guests were received by the House committee. Among those who made inputs to the bill during the public hearing include, the Chairman State Council of Chiefs, and Paramount Ruler of Ibeno, Owong Effiong Achianga, represented at the occasion. Mr. Clifford Thomas of the Civil Liberties Organization, CLO, female lawyers, female students, representatives of persons with disability, among others.
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