Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) have urged the Federal Government to introduce a supplementary framework to the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) that explicitly includes disability-related provisions in its benefit structures.
The call was made during a three-day workshop held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, organised by the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) under the theme “Ending Barriers Against Niger-Deltans with Disabilities (EBAND).” The event was supported by the Ford Foundation.
Participants, representing various disability clusters across Bayelsa, submitted a charter of demands to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), asking that the rights and needs of PWDs be formally recognised within the PIA.
They noted that while the Act provides for the interests of women, youth, and traditional rulers, it fails to address the inclusion of persons with disabilities.
The group called on NUPRC to mandate Host Community Development Trusts (HCDTs) to integrate disability issues in line with the National Disability Act, which stipulates a 5 per cent employment quota for PWDs.
They pointed to the provision in the PIA requiring oil companies to contribute 3 per cent of their annual operating expenses to HCDTs funds meant to drive community development as a missed opportunity for disability inclusion.
Mayor Ekpomokumo, Chairman of the Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities (JONAPWD) in Bayelsa, said the leadership of all disability clusters in the state is united in its demand for representation.
“JONAPWD, as the umbrella body of all PWD organisations in Bayelsa, is demanding inclusion in every structure of benefit within the PIA,” he stated.
He added that their charter also called on oil companies, traditional institutions, civil society groups, and the business community to support full inclusion of PWDs.
Mr David Anyaele, Chairman of the Abia State Commission for the Welfare of Disabled Persons and CCD founder, reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring PWDs are no longer left behind in Bayelsa.
“Persons with disabilities have what it takes to elevate their families and communities. Globally, over 1.3 billion people, about 16 per cent of the population, live with some form of disability,” he said.
Mr Godwin Unumeri, Acting Director of CCD, highlighted a long history of exclusion dating back to the Niger Delta Development Board in 1961 and continuing through the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
“When the PIA was being developed, efforts to include persons with disabilities fell through. We are now using this opportunity, with support from the Ford Foundation, to propose a supplementary policy framework,” Unumeri explained.
In his remarks, King Timi Ebikeme, Amananowei of Peretoru Kingdom, stressed the urgency of including PWDs in development plans.
“If you look closely at our communities, those who require the most attention are persons living with disabilities. Their inclusion in the PIA is not just necessary, it is overdue,” he said.
(NAN)