President of the 8th senate, Bukola Saraki, has received an aide to President Muhammadu Buhari at his private residence.
Samuel Ankeli, who is President Buhari’s senior special assistant on disability matters, visited the former senate president on Monday.
Ankeli, during the visit, informed the former senate president that he had been shortlisted to receive an award as the “Pillar of Disability in Nigeria”.
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Saraki revealed in a Facebook post that during his time as senate president, himself and Ankeli had worked closely on the National Disability Bill which was signed into law by President Buhari in 2019.
He said, “During his brief visit, we discussed the actual and projected impact of the bill on people living with disabilities (PLWDs) over the past two years.
“I was pleasantly surprised at the end of the visit when he informed me that at this year’s commemoration of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, I have been shortlisted as a recipient of the ‘Pillar of Disability in Nigeria’ award.
“I would like to thank all the partners, stakeholders and the screening committee, which includes the African Union’s Economic, Social and Cultural Council, for this thoughtful nomination — and pledge that I shall continue to fight for the rights and dignity of all PLWDs,” said Saraki.
The bill, now known as the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, prohibits all forms of discrimination against persons with disability.
It prescribes fine of N1,000,000 for corporate bodies and N100,000 for individuals or six months imprisonment for anyone or organization found guilty of discrimination on the grounds of disability.