Key provisions such as access to public buildings, employment quotas, and welfare promotion for persons with disabilities must be enforced to ensure their rights are upheld.”
By Deborah Hassan
365Daily – The House of Representatives Committee on Disabilities has invited the management of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) for refusing to allow Adebola Daniel, the son of former Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, who is a serving senator, entry into its Murtala Mohammed International Airport branch, Lagos State, because he was in a wheel chair.
This was disclosed by the chairman of the Committee, Hon Bashiru Ayinla, on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in a press briefing at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja..
The Lagos rep said his Committee was investigating the allegation of discrimination and would ensure anyone found breaching the Disability Act would be liable to prosecution according to the provisions of the law.
Adebola, a wheelchair user, had narrated his ordeal at the KFC outlet last week on X, where an accompanying video shot at the scene showed the manager saying, “No wheelchair allowed.”
Ayinla stated, “The discriminatory incident, highlighted by Mr Daniel’s public account, sheds light on the challenges being faced by individuals with disabilities in Nigeria.
“Mr Daniel, a wheelchair user, faced humiliation when he was refused entry to the KFC outlet, with the manager stating, ‘No wheelchair allowed.’ This treatment is unacceptable and goes against the principles of inclusivity and respect and it is a violation of the Disability Act.”
He noted that the discrimination of the KFC management and staff against Daniel “undermines ongoing efforts to implement the Disability Act,” adding that “the case of Mr Adebola Daniel is one in millions of other unreported cases of such abuses and injustices against people with disabilities.
”This will no longer be tolerated by the governments at all levels. Any establishments within the shore of our country irrespective of owners’ status should take note. Enough is enough!
“The Discrimination against People with Disabilities Prohibition Act 2018, passed by the National Assembly, aims to safeguard the rights of persons with disabilities.
“However, compliance with this Act has been lacking since the grace period ended in January.”
He added, “Key provisions such as access to public buildings, employment quotas, and welfare promotion for persons with disabilities must be enforced to ensure their rights are upheld.”