MP Wants Persons with Disability Accepted in Institutions

By BintaJaiteh

Nominated National Assembly member NdeyYassin Secka has continued her advocacy campaign for persons with disability, as she demands all institutions in the country should accept persons with disability in respect to their rights and privilege.

Ms Secka’s demand comes as the National Assembly members consider the disability bill which is at the consideration level.

“When we say international law should be followed in my own view, we are domesticating it but we have already rectified the UN Convention and sign it. We should not continue with what UN say because something may be applicable in other countries not applicable in our country especially person with disabilities,” she told lawmakers.

According to her, instead of minimizing it we eradicate it and look at the plight of disabilities, adding “we should make it better than following the international law.”

However, what the committees are recommending is what the community of the disabilities have agreed on in this case institution is what we need not places, she continued.
Majority leader Honorable Kebba K Barrow said during the consideration stage that “members shall have the opportunity to give detail consideration and scrutiny to every clause scheduled in the bill.”

“This provides the first opportunity for amendment to the bill to be debated and voted on and the assembly now resolved into committee of the house. The recommendation from the committee is to caption (33,1) which was in the bill,” he said.

Honorable Sainey Touray, vice chairperson of the committee cited in clause two that “the way it is defined means a place where barriers are removed to enable students with disabilities to learn and participate effectively within the main stream school system.”

Meanwhile, Honorable Halifa Sallah, National Assembly member for Serrekunda, said: “the year should be changed because amendment eventually should be made and revoked. An act replaced with another act but 2002 is Local government act that actually served the purpose. We cannot invent any form of presentation; local government authority the meaning must be somewhere if it exists under 2002 Act that is what matters. If you repeal it will disappear and incorporate it keeps on moving.”