Nigerians with disability are not lesser citizens. This was contained in the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita’s, address to members of the Association of Physically Challenged People in Nigeria (APCPN).
The leadership of APCPN and some of its members were at the Federal Secretariat to press home demands to make an upward review of government’s regulatory framework of two per cent employment ratio to the association which was agreed upon 20 years ago.
Government’s consideration to allot two per cent employment ratio in the Federal Civil Service to disabled Nigerians as recommended by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs was a strategic step to address all forms of deprivation and stigmatisation faced by this group of Nigerians.
The demands as highlighted by the association is to give a corresponding increase in the percentage of Federal Government employment, reviewing the increase in membership over the years and the fact that some members have acquired education to provide skilled labour in the public sector.
The Head of Service, Oyo-Ita, assured the association that her office would meet with superior officers in government to look at their demands with a view to secure approval.
She also told them that the Federal Government was mindful of complaints and constructive demands and would do everything within its powers to always explore dialogue to resolve misunderstandings, especially as it concerned the physically challenged.
In March this year, a group, Association of Physically Challenged Applicants (APCA), protested at the National Assembly, saying they wanted the lawmakers to put an end to the discrimination that they faced.
The Senate had in 2016 passed the Disability Bill, but it has not been signed into law yet.
The bill, among others, makes provision for the prohibition of discrimination and harmful treatment towards the physically challenged, and offenders are liable to a fine of N1m for corporate organisations and N100,000 for individuals; and six months imprisonment or both.
Taking a look at the constitution, the Nigerian sovereign state is federated with component units: states and local governments. Obviously the states exist only in revenue sharing and abdicate their responsibility to their citizens. Hence members of APCPN, rather than take their demands to their states, always prefer to dialogue with the Federal Government.
This may not be unconnected with the fact that the state governments are only concerned with how much accrues to them from the Federation Account, while their citizens wallow in penury and deprivation, unemployment and abject lack.
The Federal Government is certainly overburdened by employment matters, infrastructure, skill acquisition and vocational studies, education, health, water, agriculture, power, energy, among numerous sectors to boost the nation’s economy and drive growth.
Federating component units are empowered by law to develop infrastructure and human capital, and as well ensure the overall wellbeing of their citizens. However, the states have resorted going cap in hand at all times to the Federal Government rather than taking responsibility to address the yearnings and needs of the people.
No governor in the 36 states is working to attain financial independence. They prefer running to Abuja to solicit for debt relief and ecological funds whether their states have draught, desertification and erosion problems or not.
The states must run responsive governments that are willing to create wealth for their citizens, especially at a time when the country is running a single digit economy.
The physically challenged Nigerians converged at the Office of the Head of Service because they understand that the Federal Government runs a responsible and inclusive government that guarantees the rights and privileges of citizens, listens to demands and dialogues to resolve issues.
There are various skills acquisition schemes by the Federal Government that have direct bearing on people living with disability. These are deliberate schemes introduced by government to address the challenges faced by this group of Nigerians.
Uket wrote from Abuja
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