…Meets PWDs, Media, Others to Enhance Rights of PWDs
By Precious Oham
Justice Development and Peace Initiative, JDPI, of the Catholic Diocese of Ekiti has tasked residents of the state to accord equal rights to Persons With Disabilities, PWDs.
The Director of JDPI in Ekiti State, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Akingbade stated this on Wednesday at a one-day meeting on further discussions on how to enhance the rights of PWDs within Ekiti State and validation of citizens agenda.
The meeting comprising PWDs from different clusters, media, representative of DSS was centered on validation of citizens agenda, promoting PWDs involvement in governance and building an inclusive society for PWDs in the state with support from Miseror IHR Hilfswerk.
Speaking with journalists, Rev. Akingbade said that JDPI administered questionnaires to residents of the state, particularly PWDs on issues affecting them in the state.
He noted that the validation for citizens agenda for further intervention for PWDs in the state includes; free healthcare, free education, and accessibility to public premises and buildings.
He said: “Today’s meeting is for PWDs within the context of their right. This is not the first time we are meeting with them, this meeting is for us to consolidate with early conversations we have had with them.
“Today we have been able to validate citizens agenda as affecting PWDs. We administered questionnaires first to 1702 persons in Ekiti State from the 16 local governments and 78 was PWDs. Secondly, we carry out interviews with 337 persons, 47 were PWDs and so we have started the process of validation of citizens agenda which is basically to ask people on what government can do for them.
“The meeting today was to interact with them on what they want government to do for them with regards to the rights enshrined in the law, Persons With Disabilities Prohibition Act 2018 and Law for the Ekiti State 2020.
“To the glory of God the conversation has been very successful. We have been able to get from the PWDs that free healthcare is an area that needs attention to them, for them it is zero percent and again education is another area that the government also needs to pay attention to.
“They gave kudos to government for free education up to the secondary schools in special schools. So what happened to PWDs in other public schools, government equally needs to pay attention to this. They also gave kudos to the government as regards participation in people and also the people of Ekiti state for allowing them to come out to vote and they are prepared to ask for our votes when they come out for positions.
“Accessibility of public premises and building which is a particular right for physically challenged people, visual impaired and hearing impaired is also another area that is a red area because attention is needed. For them their experiences have not been very palatable eg banks, public places, no consideration for PWDs, no facilities for PWDs and so we have been able to look at this and we will be urging all of us to treat PWDs like human like us and give them their due rights.”