The Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) has expressed concerned over the failure of the government to private facilities that would enable persons with disabilities access the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.
CCD Executive Director, David O. Anyaele in a statement on Monday lamented that over 90 percent of airports in Nigeria do not have facilities to cater for people with disabilities.
He added: “We are concerned that more than 90 percent of airports in Nigeria are not accessible to citizens with Disabilities in Nigeria, even as the Akanu Ibiam International Airport rehabilitation was delivered without consideration to key Airport infrastructures pertinent to more that 25 million Nigerians with disabilities.
“This, is at variance with President Buhari’s June 12, 2020 directives which include ‘that all relevant Government agencies pay special attention to the peculiarities of persons with disabilities in the formulation of their policies and programmes, and where suitable their employment”.
“The none-inclusion of disability sensitive infrastructures in the rehabilitation of Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu, conflicts with the provisions of the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 as known as the National Disability Act. Section 14 (2) of the Act provides that “All airports shall make available for the conveyance of persons with disabilities who need presentable and functional assistive and protective devices to and from the airport”.
The group called on President Buhari to “compel the Minister of Aviation to provide without delay wheelchair lift designed for safety, and access to aircraft for passengers with disabilities in all the Airports across the Federation. Take necessary actions to ensure that Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies, in particular Federal Ministry of Aviation implement the National Disability Act.
“Ensure that the N1 billion terminal building expansion includes disability sensitive infrastructures such as disability friendly toilets and car parks amongst others”.
The expressed regrets that the Enugu State Government “is yet to adopt the National Disability Act, a situation that has exposed persons with disabilities in the State to constant discrimination, exclusion and neglect by the State government, as the State depends on charity based approach in addressing disability issues, which is not sustainable”.
It therefore urged that the state government to “adopt the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 without further delay, as many States in the Federation have passed Disability Laws to protect their own citizens with disabilities from discrimination and hardship associated with disability”.
Anyaele assured Nigerians and persons with disabilities in particular that, that CCD is committed to holding the government accountable to ensure full implementation of the National Disability Act.
