The Federal Government has announced plans to shut down public buildings that do not comply with the minimum standards of accessibility for Persons with Disabilities from January 17.

The Executive Secretary, National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Dr James Lalu, disclosed on Thursday while briefing newsmen in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that, the news conference was organised as part of the sixteenth day’s activism to commemorate the 2023 International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Lalu said the commission would swing into action immediately after the expiration of the five-year ultimatum given to organizations by the Federal Government, which is expected to elapse on January 16, 2024.

”This commission was established with full responsibility for the enforcement of its laws, and it has been stated in the commission’s establishment laws.

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”Five years was given to organisations to comply with accessibility laws and now the five years will expire in January 16 next year, we are now transiting from the era of advocacy to enforcement.

“By January, we would go out in full force to make sure that the provisions of the law are properly enforced,” he said.

He said the commission would engage all relevant stakeholders to constitute a special task force to ensure the implementation of the accessibility law.

“We would start meeting with own partners to constitute a taskforce immediately before this Christmas, everything will be on ground before the end of this year.

”So that as we come in early next year, the task force will swung into action immediately by January 17 at 12 am, the enforcement of accessibility laws will take effect.

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”The commission’s task force will move out in full force and will start visiting key offices for physical assessment of facilities in the key offices,” he said.

The NCPWD Boss also said the commission would ensure that organisations not only comply with their accessibility requirements but the five percent employment opportunities for Persons with Disabilities.

”Our assessment may not only end on the physical facilities but the composition of the staff in these institutions.

”We want to know how many they have as persons with disabilities, the total number of staffing decisions, and then the maintenance of the five people in these institutions.

”So we have to find out all of these, so they will come to know whether they comply with the provisions of the law,” he said.

On her part, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, said the commission received the full backing of President Bola Tinubu’s Administration in the implementation of their accessibility laws.

Edu assured the Executive Secretary of her support to ensure the enforcement of accessibility laws.

According to her, the effective implementation and enforcement of the relevant Disability laws is a collective responsibility of all Nigerians.

She, therefore, assured all stakeholders of their determination to support the commission in its quest to protect the rights and privileges of its members.

NAN

The Canadian Government has raised its “cost-of-living financial requirement for study permit applicants,” basically for international students, to $20,000 from $10,000 starting from January 1, 2024.

This was made known by the country’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Marc Miller, in a statement on Thursday.

According to him, from 2024, a single applicant will need to show they have $20,635, representing 75% of LICO, in addition to their first year of tuition and travel costs, adding, “This change will apply to new study permit applications received on or after January 1, 2024.”

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“Starting January 1, 2024, the cost-of-living financial requirement for study permit applicants will be raised so that international students are financially prepared for life in Canada.

“For close to two decades, study permit applicants for international students have remained at $10,000. This review, which takes effect from January 1, ‘will help prevent student vulnerability and exploitation,’” the statement added.

This development is coming a few days after the United Kingdom introduced a new set of rules that would make it more difficult for Nigerians and other applicants to obtain a visa.

Home Secretary James Cleverly announced the changes in the House of Commons on Monday.

Yoruba Nation agitator, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has reaffirmed his movement’s committment to achieving an independent Yoruba nation despite the emergence of a Yoruba president.

Igboho made his position known in an interview with The PUNCH.

When asked about shelving the sovereignty effort after President Bola Tinubu, a Yoruba man, took office, Igboho said his Ilana Omo Oodua group began agitating long before Tinubu’s election.

“We haven’t dropped the agitation for the Yoruba nation despite the emergence of President Bola Tinubu. We have been on this agitation long even before Tinubu clinched the presidential ticket of his political party, the All Progressives Congress.

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“Our agitation is not predicated on the election of a Yoruba man as the President of the country. Tinubu is a Yoruba man and his becoming the President can’t stop us from the struggle for the realisation of the Yoruba nation,” he said.

While less visible recently, Igboho said his group is still actively furthering the cause, adding that the United Nations receives periodic updates on progress being made.

“You may think that you haven’t heard from us or seen much of us recently, we are still on the project and the United Nations is aware of our activities. We have submitted correspondence and letters keeping the world body abreast of our progression in the struggle for Yoruba,” he noted.

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He also dismissed critics questioning his leadership or impact under the new Tinubu administration.

Igboho responded to accusations that he lacked the standing to spearhead the self-determination struggle.

“Nobody is exclusively vested with the power in this struggle. We have leaders like Prof. Akintoye, but my critics cannot determine the requirements for leading this peaceful, legitimate campaign,” he declared.