By Lanre Oloyede
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, Hon. Mohammed Abba Isa, has sounded a note of warning to stakeholders in the aviation industry on the need to adopt best international practice in handling the requirements of Persons With Disabilities, PWDs, at various airports across the country.
Hon. Abba Isa stressed that with the arrival of the implementation era (Beyond Moratorium ) of the National Disability Act, PWDs can no longer accept to be carried like bags or luggage when boarding an aircrafts at our airports.
The Senior Presidential aide gave the warning Wednesday at a ceremony for the signing and validation of the partnership charter between Nigerian aviation stakeholders and the Nigerian disability community, and handing over of the disability service desk and equipment organized by Centre for Ability Rehabilitation and Employment, CARE, in partnership with House Committee on Disability which held at the conference room of the federal house of representative in Abuja.
Recall that there have been massive outcry from several PWDs who decried the horrible and unpleasant experience encountered in the hands of aviation stakeholders while trying to board and unboard at the airports.
According to reports, many of Nigeria’s airports are unaccessible to Persons With Disabilities and also lack basic assistive devices needed to make their boarding and unboarding convenient and comfortable like other able-bodied passengers.
Some of the PWD right holders who spoke at the event recounted how they were on many occasions denied boarding the aircrafts on the excuse that the airlines lack basic facilities to cater to their disabilities.
Others narrated how they were usually scheduled to board last contrary to the aviation extant law to allow PWDs to board first.
In his remarks, Hon. Abba Isa reiterated that with the National Disability Act in full enforcement, airlines and aviation stakeholders have no excuse not to handle PWDs properly in line with best international practice just like other aviation passengers.
The aide to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, further stated that though, disability community has decided to adopt moral suasion as against force in implementation of the disability law, however, he would not hesitate to repory violators of the rights of Persons With Disabilities to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In his welcome address, the chairman house committee on Disability, Hon. Bashir Dawodu, announced that the committee has secured the backing of resolution of the house of representatives to clampdown on institutions that fail to comply with the National Disability Act.
In his opening remarks, founder of CARE, Dr. Chike Okogwu, expressed gladness with the Federal Ministry of Aviation and other stakeholders in the Industry for the improvement and milestones that have been achieved in terms disability accessibility in most of the airports.
Dr. Chike however noted that a lot more still need to be achieved to provide comfort and convenience for PWDs transiting through our airports.
Highpoints of the event included signing and validation of the partnership charter, and handing over of the disability desk and equipment to the National Commission for Persons With Disabilities.
