PWDs: Need For Improved Welfare In Rivers

Every child is born with inherent potentials for development, but the visicitudes and  inexplicable ways of life sometimes pose grave challenges to the physical growth and development of some individuals, a pathetic situation that requires extra attention and care to forestall the loss of such rosy potentials. Coping with physical disabilities is a traumatic experience that no one would like to go through,  as it may result in the total capitulation of life, if the social, emotional and psychological needs of the victims are not attended to. The disability community is therefore a delicate segment of the society that requires more than a passive attention but deep concern from the government, other relevant authorities and the private sector to make them active participants in the process of development. In recognition of this important segment of the society, the United Nations formulated laws that protect the rights, dignity, and interests of persons  with disabilities and other life threatening challenges, globally. This is known as the “United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities”. Nigeria is a signatory to this charter.
In Nigeria, Persons  with Disabilities(PWDs) operate under the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities, an umbrella body that coordinates  the activities  and interest of members. The association is domesticated across the 36 states of the federation, with structured leadership affiliated to the National body. The Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities is made up of eight clusters: 1. Visually impaired (blind) 2. Hearing impaired (deaf) 3.Albinism 4. Leprosy 5. Spinal Cord. 6. Physical 7. Intellectual (autism, Down Syndrome, 8. Learning disability).
A worrisome and misconstrued aspect of disability management in our society has been the placement of the fate and fortunes of affected persons on charity and sheer benevolence, rather than deliberate interventionist policies to better their lots. Beyond the threshold of charity and benevolence, there are glaring cases where fully mobilised and determined  persons with disabilities have achieved exceptional feats in their various careers and fields of endeavour.
A glaring example is the talented musician, that won the keenly contested American Idol. Kodi Taehyun Lee is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist, who  rose to fame after participating in, and ultimately winning, the 14th Season of America’s Got Talent. In 2019, Lee auditioned for AGT, and within weeks his performance had over 50 million viewers on the internet Wikipedia.  Kodi Lee  is autistic and blind but rose beyond his physical challenges to stardom because of self determination and a motivating environment.  The articulation of the needs, development  and welfare of the community of PWDs through deliberate policy formulation and implementation is therefore a major task before every society and the government.  The organised private sector is also expected to play pivotal role in providing a self-sustainability model of empowerment for PWDs through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policies. Also of importance is the implementation of disability laws to criminalise unwholesome, discriminatory practices and stigmatisation of Persons  with  disabilities in the society.
In pursuance of these objectives, the Rivers State Disability Welfare Enhancement Law No 3, was enacted in the state and signed into law in 2011, but the legislation has not been most effective in terms of its implementation and impact. Thus making the disability community in the state endangered species. An upward review of the law to be in conformity with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of PWDs is therefore, most imperative for proper inclusiveness of the disability community in the polity. In a bid to enhance the standards of living of people living with physical disabilities, pundits and critical stakeholders have called for a more proactive and workable model in managing disability related issues in Rivers State. One of such proponents and advocates of the sustainability model is the current chairman of the Rivers State Chapter of the Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities, Comrade Kie Obomanu. Comrade Obomanu, who expressed his views during an exclusive interview with The Tide recently, called for the review of the Rivers State Disability Welfare Enhancement Law No. 3, to reflect the dynamics of the United Nations Charter on disability management.
He emphasised the need for the establishment of the Rivers State Disability Commission, which is a critical component of the Rivers State Persons With Disability Welfare Enhancement Law No. 11 of 2012. According to Kie Obomanu, the flagrant deviation from the implementation of disability Law by the Government poses severe threats to the daily existence of persons with disabilities in the state. He noted that the  building code, section 3 of the National Disability Law  2018,  makes it compulsory, “that all public buildings must adapt their structures to be disability friendly, through the provision of ramps, elevators, lifts for easy access to enter and freely move around public buildings”. He further decried a situation where their members who are lawyers lose their briefs because they can not access courts rooms at the State Judiciary Complex, adding that its members cannot also attend Public Hearings and observe plenary in Rivers State House of Assembly, because of inaccessibility.  The chairman was particularly dismayed that some obnoxious traditional practices are still used to deprive Persons with Disabilities in the state of their rights in different communities of the State.
To  cope with the present economic exigencies, Obomanu also called for the establishment of the Rivers State Disability Trust Fund and an Enterprise Development Centre with inclusive equipment for the training of its members in various skills and entrepreneurial development schemes  for economic development, self reliance and sustainability.  He pointed out that such interventions would be accommodative of the eight disability clusters and guarantee their self reliance.
Another area of concern raised by the chairman of Joint  National Association of Persons with  Disabilities in Rivers State is the proper collection of data and numerical documentation of persons with disabilities in the state as this will help the government, private sector and development partners (international donor organisations) to know how to key into sectoral aid work. Comrade Obomanu said the association was able to collate a sample of 8,000 persons from the different disability clusters across the various LGAS, but this figure does not reflect the actual number of persons  with disabilities in the state.
He explained that the rigorousness of the self-sponsored exercises which ended mostly at the Local Government Headquarters and few adjoining communities stunted the association’s efforts in getting the real number of persons with disabilities in the state. “The complexities and remoteness of some localities and communities where our members are located make it difficult to reach out to them and get actual results in head counts, the one done so far does not reflect the totality of persons living with physical disabilities in Rivers State.
“I want to appeal to the Rivers State Government to assist us with sponsorship to reach out to remote communities where our members are.”
He also appealed to Governor Siminalayi Fubara to come to the aid of students of the School of Handicapped at Creek Road, Port Harcourt, as the classrooms and dormitories are in a qualid condition for the students to engage in conducive learning, and called for the establishment of a new school with inclusive equipment, accessible facilities and mainstreaming of educational policy.
For proper interface, effective response and alleviation of the plight of the disability community in Rivers State, Kie Obomanu appealed to the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara to appoint a Special Adviser on disability matters.

By: Taneh Beemene