The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, Hon. Mohammed Abba Isa, has asked Rano Air Limited to apologise to the disability community or face legal action for its “discriminatory” conduct.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja, Isa said on May 14, 2024, at the Maiduguri International Airport, Mr Gabai, a Person with Disability (PWD) and Chairman of the Yobe State chapter of the Joint National Association for Persons with Disability was denied access to board the Rano aircraft despite booking and paying for his ticket.
He said the development caused him significant harm and prevented him from attending a crucial disability stakeholders’ conference he was billed to attend.
“All efforts to explain to the flight attendants his predicaments and the purpose of the trip proved abortive as they could not even listen to him while the flight departs without regard to the contract between him and the company,” he said.
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Tinubu’s aide said, “This incident is a clear breach of Mr Gabai’s fundamental right to freedom of movement, as well as a blatant act of discrimination contrary to the National Disability Act and breach of contract by Rano Air Limited.
“I hereby demand that Rano Air Limited publicly apologise to Mr Gabai and implement measures to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.
“The apology must be published in not less than two national dailies failure which my office will not be able to help a deluge of court cases that will follow.”