By Alaba Olusola Oke
The Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) has said that the rights of persons with disabilities (PWDs) are sacrosanct for their survival and wellness and must be protected and implemented.
The Acting Director of CCD, Mr Godwin Unumeri, said this in Akure on Friday during a 2-day capacity building workshop for PWDs in the state.
The workshop, organised by CCD and supported by Ford Foundation, had as its theme: “Ending Barriers against Niger Deltans with Disabilities”.
Unumeri, represented by the CCD Finance Manager, Mrs Florence Austin, said that Nigeria is a signatory to international laws that protect the rights of PWDs.
“We have national law, Disability Act 2018 and United Nations Convention on the Rights of PWDs and African Protocols on Disability, and Nigeria is a signatory to these laws.
“Government, society, and organisations must protect these rights because they are sacrosanct for PWDs to survive and live as human beings,” Unumeri said.
He, therefore, asked PWDs to always advance the cause for their rights in modern ways and not to be confrontational.
According to him, PWDs should speak out on issues that affect them and stop to keep quite in changing perceptions of the society on PWDs.
Unumeri, who lauded the National Assembly (NASS) for reviewing the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 in capturing the interests of PWDs in the Niger Delta, asked for speedy passage of the law.
“This situation raises important questions about fairness, representation and justice.
“It also challenges us to reflect on whether our development systems are truly inclusive or merely designed for the majority,” Unumeri said.
He also said that CCD had played a major role in ensuring the review of the Act, since it discovered the violations of the rights of PWDs.
He contended that inclusion is not an act of charity, saying, “It is a fundamental human right and it is grounded in national and international legal frameworks”.
Unumeri said that the legal frameworks affirmed the right of PWDs to participate fully in all aspects of societal life.
He said that the workshop’s goal was to strengthen the capacity of PWDs and an organisation for PWDs.
“PWDs engage effectively with PIA decision-making stakeholders, articulate their priorities, and influence decisions that affect their lives and communities.
“Over the course of this workshop, we will explore practical strategies for advocacy, deepen our understanding of the PIA framework, and identify entry points for meaningful participation.
“We will also examine tools for engagement – how to build alliances, how to communicate effectively with stakeholders, and how to hold duty-bearers accountable.
”But more importantly, this workshop will provide a safe and inclusive space for sharing experiences, challenges and success stories,” he said.
In her lecture, a resource person, Mrs Peace Ezekiel, said that PWDs were only asking for their constitutional rights and inclusion in the affairs of their communities rather than being offered beggarly provisions.
Ezekiel, who spoke on PWDs and the Niger Delta Environment, asked PWDs not to keep quite nor resort to violence, but advocate for their cause through modern approaches.
She said that if the PWDs were resilient, they would greatly benefit from various provisions made available for the region and become assets to the development of their society.
Also, the Programme Officer of CCD, Mrs Christiana Njoku, said that government, corporate organisations and individuals should include the interests of the PWDs in their plans for public consumption.
Njoku said that the prototype of infrastructure must meet the needs of PWDs.
The Chairman, Joint National Association of PWDs in Ondo State, Mr Abiodun Olusegun, said that the review of the Act was long due.
Olusegun said that the NASS members should consider the plight of the PWDs in the Niger Delta and speedily pass the reviewed Act for the President’s assent. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
OKEO/USO
Edited by Sam Oditah
