PWDs in Imo Sue For Rights, Equal Opportunities in Society

ThankGod Emeh…

Persons living with Disabilities, also known as PWDs in Imo communities have called for domestication of their rights and privileges across boards so as to place them at par with every other bonafide Nigerian citizen in the face of employment and other opportunities.

The PWDs at a two-day sensitization programme organized by Community Life Project (CLP) at Umuorii Uratta, Owerri North Local government area weekend with the theme “Understanding our Rights as PWDs and How to Protect Ourselves from Gender-based Violence”, expressed concerns to know the right channels to report to when their rights are trampled upon, highlighting mixed feelings on the level of cold attention given to them when they call for help in situations of maltreatment.

They urged the general public not to look down on them “as liabilities”, pointing out that they equally have strengths and weaknesses just like all humans do.

The PWDs at the programme called for integration of PWDs into labour unions and associations as well as establishment of new ones with broader framework to holistically protect their rights at all times.

They further called for government intervention as well as periodical checks at educational and medical institutions to ascertain their their welfare, while seeking policies to mandate communities to collate data of PWDs so as to properly integrate and carry them along at all times.

Addressing the participants at the workshop, the Community Life Project -Programme Director, Celine Osukwu said the theme of the programme was aimed at exposing PWDs to their rights in societies among other opportunities on.

Osukwu noted that is it only when PWDs know their rights, that they can protect and fight for themselves

A resource person at the Programme who is also a PWD, Barr. Aloysius Osioko while stressing the importance of enlightening PWDs on their obtainable rights and privileges in societies as put up in the national acts as well as state domestication laws, said Nigeria promulgated the PWDs protection law in 2018, hence “there’s no need to discriminate individuals on the basis of physical appearance status”, adding that “the person have equal rights just like every other human being”

“So you cannot say because the person is a physically challenged person, then he is not entitled to employment, dividend share and other opportunities.

“Sections one in the national acts states that no person living with Disabilities should be discriminated against”

He however called on government at all levels to give  PWDs good sense of belonging, to make the society a balanced and progressive one where rights of all citizens are guaranteed, as he urged the participants to show themselves approved for opportunities when they come by; by going to school and learning skills.

Another resource person living with eye challenge, Ifeanyi Ukwueze however called on Joint Associations of Persons Living with Disabilities to look inward for the welfare of their members.

The resource persons at the programme commended the Imo state government for domesticating the act and outlining five percent employment for PWDs in the state public service.