TUC Wants Domestication Of UN Convention On Disabled Persons

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Rivers State Council has called for domestication of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with disabilities in Nigeria.

This was disclosed to The Tide by the state chairman of TUC, Comrade Chika Onuegbu during the activities to commemorate this year’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities held in Port Harcourt recently.

Comrade Onuegbu said this year’s commemorative theme was apt and succinct which was titled “Removing barriers to create an inclusive and accessible society for all.”

He said this year’s activity on persons with disabilities provided an opportunity for government at all levels and indeed all Nigerians to work collectively to address the exclusion of person with disabilities by focusing on promoting accessibility as well as removing all forms of barrier against such persons with disabilities in the society.

The labour leader said these barriers include societal attitudes, all forms of discriminations, legislations and government policies that are insensitive to the needs and challenges of persons with disabilities.

He further said that barriers relating to the physical environment or to Information and Communication Technology (ITC) should be removed to integrate such person with disabilities into the society.

Comrade Onuegbu said persons with disabilities are no less human than the rest of the healthy persons, stressing that they need to be effectively considered in the planning and development of public policies and programme for their well being.

He decried a situation where the condition of the persons with disabilities are used as an excuse to covertly or overtly exclude them from participation in social economic and political activities.

The TUC’s chairman tasked the National Assembly and the various state House of Assembly in the federation to domesticate the United Nations (UN) convention on the rights of persons with disabilities as adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 13, 2006.

Comrade Onuegbu urged corporate organisations, individuals, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) and government officials to join hands together, towards creating an inclusive society by working together to ensure that persons with disability enjoy their rights and realise their great potential like the rest healthy persons in the society.

It would be recalled that the United Nations General Assembly convention on Rights of Persons with disabilities as adopted on December 13, 2006 dims to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities and to promote respect for their inherent dignity.

However, Nigeria is yet to domesticate the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with disabilities as part of the nation’s legislation.