- Gbenga Daniel’s son, Adebola, a wheelchair user was reportedly prevented from entering the KFC outlet at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos last week
The House of Representatives Committee on Disabilities has invited the management of Kentucky Fried Chicken, KFC, over the alleged unfair treatment of a person living with a disability, Adebola Daniel, son of former Ogun state governor, Senator Gbenga Daniel.
The committee’s chairman, Bashiru Ayinla, made this known while briefing House of Representatives correspondents at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja on Tuesday.
Ayinla, a member of the All Progressives Congress representing Oshodi/Isolo-1 Federal Constituency, Lagos State, said the committee would ensure anyone found culpable of breaching the Disability Act is punished by the provisions of the law.
Adebola, a wheelchair user was reportedly prevented from entering the KFC outlet at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos last week with the manager quoted as saying, “No wheelchair allowed.”
Speaking on the ill-treatment, the lawmaker said, “We have invited KFC and there will be an investigation which will be based on House rules.”
Ayinla added, “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.”
According to the Lagos federal lawmaker, the son of the ex-governor and serving senator, Daniel, narrated his ordeal at the KFC outlet of the airport in a series of tweets posted on Wednesday via his X handle, @DebolaDaniel, saying, “Being disabled often rolls over my spirit, leaving behind a trail of shattered dignity and forgotten humanity. Nowhere more so than in Nigeria.”
He frowned at the discrimination of the KFC management and staff against Daniel, stressing that denying access to the physically challenged persons to public spaces “undermines ongoing efforts to implement the Disability Act.”
He continued, “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.”
Ayinla pledged the readiness of the committee to engage with communities to kick-start the full implementation of the Disability Act, adding that “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.”