by Chris Agbo,
Centre for Citizens With Disabilities (CCD) in collaboration with National Commission for Persons with Disabilities ( NCPWD) on Tuesday in Abuja organised a Stakeholders Forum on COVID-19 Vaccination and Citizens with disabilities.
The Executive Director of CCD, Mr. David Obinna Anyaele in his welcome remark, said that during the COVID-19 lockdown, the plight of people with disabilities were not considered and also during the ease of lockdown, efforts were made and in the protocols, any sectors were considered but the interest of persons with disabilities were left out. It was a worried situation for persons with disabilities because even the sign language interpreters used in the presidential task force briefings were borrowed from civil society groups, no arrangements were initially made to carry along the deaf community on the COVID-19 preventive guidelines. It was from the agitation from organization of persons with disabilities that even prompt them to adopt sign language interpretation in their briefings.
It was of note also that the recently organized stakeholders forum for persons with disabilities on COVID-19 Vaccination by National Primary Health Care Development Agency was not properly arranged because the deaf and blind were not carried along based on how they set up the zoom meeting, it was all about make your comments, no action plan on how persons with disabilities would be captured in the vaccination exercise and the whole protocol about the COVID-19 Vaccination, persons with disabilities were not involved in them and even if we have two hundred million doses of the vaccine, persons with disabilities would not still get vaccinated.
He said that it is because of these identified gaps that CCD decided to organize a stakeholders forum with the support of Disability Rights Fund to engage the key stakeholders on COVID-19 to raise their consciousness towards the issue in order to prioritize persons with disabilities when it comes to COVID-19 Vaccination at the Vaccination centre which in line with National Disability Act that provides that when there is queues, persons with disabilities would be considered first and it is the duty of the government to ensure that this act is implemented to the later.
Speaking further, he said that in order to ensure that awareness is created around the issue, CCD paid an advocacy visit to the Executive Secretary, National Commission for Persons with Disabilities and recommended that they assist in bring the two major stakeholders (NCDC and NPHCDA) to interface with leaders of disability community, he commended the ES, for living up to his promises and duties by embarking on an advocacy visit to NCDC.
Watch the full speech of Mr. David Anyaele
He concluded by appreciating The House Committee Chairman on Disability, Hon. Princess Miriam Onuoha for honouring the invitation even at a short notice and he commended her passion towards disability issues even though she have no connection whatsoever with disability.
He urged the leaders with disability to use the opportunity to interface with NCDC and NPHCDA for them to come into agreement on how best persons with disabilities can be prioritized in the COVID-19 vaccination exercise.
The Executive Secretary, National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), Mr. James Lalu in his remark, appreciated the Chairman, House Committee on Disability for her passion towards disability issues, he also commended the ED, CCD for the wonderful initiative. He agreed on the gaps identified by CCD and said it was his thought also, that was why he paid an advocacy to the Director General of NCDC to establish a working relationship and he discovered that most times, agencies would want to work with people with disabilities but they always have the challenge of how to go about it. That is why we should learn to always go to them to present our issues and lead them on how they can work with persons with disabilities. He emphasized on the need to prioritize persons with disabilities in all they do in COVID-19 matter. He vowed to reach out to all agencies and committees that matters in the issue of COVID-19 to ensure that persons with disabilities are prioritized.
Speaking further, he urged organization of persons with disabilities to come forward to NCPWD with ideas so that all hands would be on desk to move the disability issues forward in Nigeria. He said that the Stakeholders forum is just the beginning, saying that they should look for funding so that the advocacy should be taken to the six geo-political zones for the disability leaders in these zones to be sensitized and mobilized their people.
Watch full speech of the ES, Mr. James Lalu:
The House Committee Chairman on Disability, Hon. Miriam Onuoha during her remark said that she came to the meeting even at short notice because she sees herself as part of the family and advised that we should learn to work together even in our shortcomings because we are already disadvantaged. She is worried that issues of COVID-19 have been about people without disabilities, they receive all the attention, who then listens to persons with disabilities going by their rights to access services including services from NCDC and NPHCDA. She said that it is an open truth that persons with disabilities are encountered with barrage of challenges which inform the need for persons with disabilities to be specially included in all government palliatives and interventions which COVID-19 Vaccination is one of them.
She further appreciated President Buhari for signing disability bill to an act and ministries and agencies should understand their roles as regards the act, they should understand the breach of the act comes with some penalties and she assured that her committee have the mandate to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book. She informed that in weeks to come, there would be public hearing on air travelers going by the reports and complaints of discrimination from persons with disabilities to the committee.
She also said that it would be proper that at end of the meeting, there would be clearer understanding on how persons with disabilities can access COVID-19 from NCDC. Could it be creating a special centre for PwDs, or bring the personnel to the Commission or attaching PWDs with designated centres.
She assured PWDs that the House Committee on Disability is behind them and she informed that the Committee is planning a National Disability Summit that will bring together major organizations of persons with disabilities to discuss some issues of disability and proffer solutions to many of the teething problems.
Watch full speech of Hon. Miriam Onuoha:
The event also showcase some persons with disabilities raising concerns about the COVID-19 Vaccines and their challenges towards accessing the vaccines.
The representatives of NCDC and NPHCDA were on hand to respond to some of the concerns raised and the representative of NPHCDA, Idris Bello while promising to prioritize PWDs to words into action by inviting a team administering vaccines to the venue of the meeting and many participants at the meeting got vaccinated.
They called on other PWDs to go to any nearest COVID-19 vaccination center to get vaccinated as NPHCDA have promised to prioritize persons with disabilities.
The likes are ES, NCPWD, James Lalu. Mr Lawrence Idemudia, Ag, Director, NCPWD, Catherine Edeh, ED, Voice for Disability Initiative, Afam Kasim, The Albino Foundation, Agbo Chris, ED, The Qualitative Magazine, Misbau Lawal Didi, Former APC Disability Leader, Tim Tinat, National President, Association of Sign Language Interpreters of Nigeria (ASLIN ) and many other were vaccinated.
Below are some pictures of the event
