The Center for Citizens with Disabilities has made an appeal to Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Emmanuel Udom to ensure that Akwa Ibomites with disabilities are not left behind in the distribution of relief materials and palliatives to all villages in the State.
Executive Director of CCD, David Anyaele in a press statement issued recently, said it was not contestable that Persons with Disabilities are the worst hit as a result of the lockdown occasioned by the Coronavirus pandemic.
He said, “We urge the Governor of Akwa Ibom State to take all necessary steps to ensure the safety and protection of Persons with Disabilities as clearly stated in Section 25 of the Nigeria Disability Law.”
Alluding to the fact that reports have it that State government plans to send palliatives to all villages in Akwa Ibom to assist residents during lockdown in the State, Anyaele said “we urge the government to ensure that Persons with Disabilities are given priority in the distribution of these relief materials.
This appeal is very important as the Akwa Ibom State Government is yet to sign the State Disability Law that prohibits discrimination, exclusion, stigmatization and marginalization of Persons with Disabilities thereby leaving thousands of Persons with Disabilities unprotected in Akwa Ibom State.
“We call on the Akwa Ibom State Government as a matter of urgency to consult organizations of persons with disabilities in the State for support in this regard, include sign language interpreters and disability desk officers in its 300 bed Isolation Centre in Ituk Mbang and other Isolation Centres in Ikot Ekpene and Ibom Specialist Hospital, Uyo and Coronavirus testing laboratories to make the process disability compliant.”
Anyaele said the group would take keen interest to monitor the extent of access and inclusion of Akwa Ibomites with disabilities in the distribution of the relief materials.
“It is our interest to document and disseminate findings to local and international organisations working on democratic governance, international development co-operation, human rights and disability issues with the view of attracting policy attention to the long neglected issue of the rights of persons with disabilities,” he said.