A group, Beyond Disabilities Humanitarian Aids Foundation, BDHAF, at the weekend, threatened to institute legal action against the management of KFC restaurant for violating the rights of one of its own, Mr Debola Daniel at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos.
At a media briefing in Abuja, BDHAF noted that the action of KFC violates section 1 (1,2) of The Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018, which provides that, “A person with disability shall not be discriminated against on the grounds of his disability by any person or institution in any manner or circumstance.
“A person who contravenes subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable on conviction to, if the person is; (a) a body corporate, a fine of One Million Naira (N1,000,000).
“(b) an individual, a fine of One Hundred Thousand (N100,000) or six months imprisonment or both.”
Speaking to journalists, the Director of Operations and Advocacy of the organisation, Steve Rodstick Ezeh stated that the action of KFC, a multinational restaurant was unacceptable and cannot be allowed to go unpunished.
“It is of utmost importance that we understand that every society has laws that govern and guide their affairs. And for every responsible organisation in any society, the first Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is to abide by the laws of that society. And we all know that no one is above the law, NOT even KFC.”
Ezeh said they decided to take legal action against KFC to serve as a signal to other organisations, so that the basic rights of everyone, irrespective of their physical status will be respected going forward.
He said, ”On this current discrimination against Mr Debola Daniel, we have instructed our legal team to institute a case against KFC.
“The management of KFC will not only be made to experience the full weight rebound of their action but also be made to ensure that all their facilities in Nigeria comply with the “Accessibility of physical structure” provisions of the Discrimination (Prohibition)Act if they wish to continue to operate here in Nigeria.
The Act, in section (4) stated that ” A public building shall be constructed with the necessary accessibility Aids such as Lifts (where necessary), ramps, and any other facility that shall make them accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities”.
”We have observed that most KFC outlets across the country fall short of this provision and they will have to comply with the law of the country to continue operations.”
The group said it has already entered into an agreement with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities (SSA-SNEO), Isah Abba to embark on a nationwide awareness campaign on the provisions of The Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018.
The group expressed appreciation to the management of the Federal Airports Authority (FAAN) and Lagos State Government for their “vigilance “and proactive approach to the protection of persons living with disability
