Yesterday, Wednesday April 20th, the advocacy team of The Centre for Ability, Rehabilitation and Empowerment (CARE) for Accessible Aviation took her sensitization and policy change campaign to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Headquarters in Abuja.
The team, supported by Voice Nigeria, was led by Dr. Chike Okogwu, and received by Mr A. A. Yakubu – who represented Chief Tony Ojukwu, Executive Secretary (NHRC). Chief Ojukwu was unavoidably absent from the meeting on official assignment outside the country.
Other officials present at the meeting were the Director, Vulnerable Groups Department, Mr. Dahiru S. Bobbo; Director Public Affairs and External Linkages, Halima Oyedele; Deputy Director, Vulnerable Groups Department, Agharese Arase; Oluchi Adieze, Josephine Onwudiwe, Uche Garba and all staff of the Vulnerable Groups Department.
Top on the agenda for discussion was the issue of urgent need for policy changes by airlines that require purchase of extra tickets for accompanying aides of Persons With Disabilities. Other issues covered was the incessant discrimination of PWDs at the airport, especially in boarding and disembarking.
Also discussed was the resistance of certain stakeholders who are expected to partner with CARE as the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the legislative arm of Government were doing so far.
The meeting ended on a high point with the Executive Secretary assuring the CARE group of NHRC’s willingness and readiness to partner with CARE all the way to ensure policy changes through partnerships in advocacies and trainings for policy implementation that would encourage and support the Accessible Aviation project.