By Suleiman Shehu
An organisation committed to disability rights, Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), has appealed to government, security agencies and others to address challenges facing Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Nigeria.
The centre made the appeal during an advocacy visit and presentation of Project on Awareness about Civic Space Rights of PWDs to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Oyo State Command, in Ibadan.
The CCD Senior Programme Officer, Ms Florence Attah, said that “PWDs’ rights as guaranteed under Sections 39 and 40 of the Nigerian Constitution (as amended) are facing persistent threats.”
Attah listed the rights to include freedom of association, freedom of assembly, freedom of participation in shaping policies, freedom to demand accountability, and freedom to contribute meaningfully to the development of their communities among others.
“Peaceful protests are often disrupted, civil society actors treated with suspicion, and laws meant to protect citizens sometimes misused to silence voices.
“Persons with disabilities, due to existing vulnerabilities, face even greater risks—including harassment, intimidation, violence, and barriers in accessing justice,” Attah said.
The CCD Senior Programme Officer said the NSCDC has a duty to protect the rights of all citizens, including persons with disabilities, and appealed to the corps to become true protector of civic rights of all.
Attah said that PWDs were often less able to protect themselves during civic actions, resulting to institutional neglect where their rights are not prioritised.
“Communication barriers remain a major concern. For example, a deaf person participating in a protest may face harassment from security personnel, yet have no access to a sign language interpreter.
“This limits their ability to communicate effectively,” she said.
According to her, the purpose of CCD’s advocacy visit to NSCDC Commandant in Oyo State was to create awareness on challenges facing PWDs and to ensure that their Civic Space Rights are protected.
Attah appealed to NSCDC to publicly commit to protecting PWDs during civic actions, ensure accessible processes, including sign language interpretation, assistive devices, supportive technologies, and physical access.
She further called on them to train their officers on civic rights and disability inclusion, create dedicated and safe reporting channels to address civic rights violations involving PWDs and work with CCD to ensure effective implementation.
Also speaking, CCD Programme Officer, Mrs Christiana Njoku, said Civic Space Right was the foundation of inclusive governance.
According to Njoku, PWDs will remain vulnerable and voiceless without their Civic Space Right being protected.
In his response, the NSCDC Commandant, Augustine Padonu, said PWDs need the care of security agencies and pledged the corps’ commitment to the protection of Civic Space Rights of PWDs.
“We will work on your challenges and ensure your civil rights are protected. Our doors are open if you have any complaints,” the commandant said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Bayo Sekoni
