General News
Disabled Nigerians Demand Their Rights to Vote
By: Victor Ulasi, Nigeria
Disabled Nigerians are demanding to be included in the electoral system of Nigeria which gives them the right to contest for any political offices also requested to be given equal opportunity on employments, education and access to public places like there able human counterparts.
People Living with Disability suffer great challenges and are not seen in the working force of Nigeria, while the rate of stigma by the society against them increases on the daily basis and the Federal Government of Nigeria continues to order the execution of people with disabilities on the streets and in public places.
The disabled demand that equal employment and education be given to them irrespective of their deficiencies and urge the Federal Government of Nigeria to create an educational and working environment conducive for the disabled people. The educational institutes in Nigeria are not friendly to the disabled either, and donโt allow the issues to be voted on at a joint meeting of persons with disabilities from all around the nation in Kaduna State.
Even though some of the Senior Special Officials to various state governments are disabled themselves, they do not get full recognition by their respective governments. Despite their attempts to intervene on behalf of the disabled, the authorities continue to order the execution of disabled people.
In an interview with the Senior Special Adviser to Kebbi State Governor on disability matters, Mr. Abdulnasir Sani Arugungu stated that people with disabilities are organizing in grass-root level movements to seek solutions for the disabled in the future.
โStreet begging is never in the interest of individuals or in the interest of the community, but when people have no access to employment and education and are being discriminated against by the society, they have no other option but to go on the street and beg. We need a constitutional amendment to provide opportunities for people with disabilities so they can go to school; work, and be accepted for political offices.โ
People with disabilities are proposing the creation of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities Bill in the National Assembly of Nigeria. The proposal has been submitted and under consideration with the Federal Government of Nigeria for almost 4 years, yet nothing has been done by the lawmakers so far.
Speaking on stigma and discrimination against women with disabilities, the National Financial Secretary of Persons with Disability, Miss Bilkisu Ado Zango said that as long as the males in Nigeria are concerned โdisabled women are corpses and the living have nothing do with the deadโ.
โWomen with disabilities face tipple the challenges men with the same conditions experience in Nigeria with regard to education and employment. The society in Northern Nigeria believes that women in general do not need to be educated. Disabled women seeking recognition; therefore might seem an impossible task; however, we believe that we will be able to break through.โ
To this end, people with disabilities called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to speed up the process of accepting the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities Bill and that proper provision for employment should be made available for those persons.
Edited by Livia Sappington
Additional Information
Country: Nigeria
Website: http://worldnewsvine.com/2010/03/disabled-nigerians-demand-their-rights-to-vote/
Email: N/A
Phone: N/A
Contact Person: N/A
Source: Email from: MORI, Soya
When: 12/3/2010
