Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) are urging the federal government to develop a supplementary version of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) that will specifically address their inclusion within its benefit frameworks.
This call was made during a three-day workshop on the PIA and Disability Laws, organised by the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) in Umuahia under the theme “Ending Barriers Against Niger-Deltans with Disabilities (EBAND).”
PWD representatives from various clusters across Abia State presented their demands to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), seeking their full integration into the PIA benefit structures.
They stressed the need for Host Community Development Trusts (HCDTs) to include the needs and perspectives of PWDs, noting that the current PIA acknowledges women, youths, and traditional rulers but makes no specific provisions for people with disabilities.
Additionally, the group requested that NUPRC ensure a minimum five per cent employment quota for the disability community, in line with the National Disability Law.
Wisdom Okechukwu, chairman of the Abia chapter of the Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities (JONAPWD), said the group’s demands were a collective resolution from cluster leaders across the state.
He emphasised that JONAPWD advocates for the full inclusion of PWDs across all PIA benefit structures, alongside other key stakeholders like oil companies, traditional institutions, civil society organisations, and the business community.
David Anyaele, chairman of the Abia State Commission for the Welfare of Disabled Persons, also assured that the commission is committed to protecting the rights and interests of PWDs within the state.
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