Centre for Citizens With Disabilities (CCD), Spinal Cord Injury Association Of Nigeria (SCIAN) and Hope Alive Possibilities Initiative (HAPI) under the auspices of Coalition For Disability Organizations (CODO) paid an advocacy visit to the newly appointed Special Assistant To President Bola Ahmed Tinubu On Disability Matters, Hon. Mohammed Abba Isa.
The visit is to felicitate with him on the appointment and also share the findings from the research conducted by the group on Access To Airports by Persons With Disabilities.
CCD Interim Head, Mrs. Florence Austin represented by Senior Program Officer, CCD, Mr. Damian Ivom in his speech appreciated Mr. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the appointment of someone who was part of the struggle and understand the issues as his SSA on Disability Matters.
He described Abba Isa as a man with pedigree and knowledge to excel. He informed SSA that CODO conducted research on Access to Airports in 9 states cutting across the Six geopolitical zones.
Speaking further, he expressed dismay on the treatment meted on persons with disabilities at the airports in Nigeria.
“It is disheartening seeing wheelchair users being carried like sacks up the aircraft among other challenges faced by persons with disabilities at the airports”.
He said that CODO have engaged different stakeholders on aviation industry, airline operators, handlers, NACA and FAAN to see how the challenges would be addressed.
He told SSA that CODO visited to seek partnership to upscale the engagement.
A member of the delegation, Obinna Ekujereonye, the Executive Director, Disability Advancement Initiative (DAI) urged SSA to use his platform to speak on the challenges faced by persons with disabilities at the airport.
“It is hurting to see that at times, airlines delay and deny persons with disabilities opportunity to fly with reasons bordering on the unfavorable policy of the airlines. They don’t care about your appointment or reason for your travel”.
The Executive Director, The Qualitative Magazine, Comrade Chris Agbo, a member of the delegation, enjoined the SSA to add access to aviation as part of his message and add his voice because inspite of the advocacy, the discrimination still persist.
He shared his recent experience where an airline asked him to provide someone as an assistant onboard before he will be allowed to board.
A member of the Coalition, The Executive Director, Hope Alive Possibilities Initiative (HAPI), Aver Akighir informed that the project supported by Disability Rights Fund (DRF) would be over soon and there is need for sustainability going by the importance of the project.
She seek for SSA’s partnership with the group to ensure sustainability of the advocacy.
Special Assistant To President On Disability Matters, Hon. Mohammed Abba Isa in his response commended the group for the visit, echoed that it is the first group he is receiving on courtesy visit, eulogized the group for the Coalition to address access to Airports by Persons With Disabilities.
He said that he is concerned because he is also facing the challenges. He promised to engage the aviation minister for the implementation of the research findings.
He also said that he has started engaging MDAs for inclusive budgeting because if the MDAs are not influenced now to include disability programmes in their budgets, it would be difficult to get them to implement programmes for persons with disabilities.
“The issue of disability inclusion requires continuous engagement until we achieved our desired results. Americans With Disabilities spent 35 years on advocacy to get to the stage they are on disability inclusion, we have advocated for 4years for implementation, we need to continue the advocacy”.
He also said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is passionate about disability inclusion.
“Renewed hope agenda of Mr. President is inclusive of persons with disabilities that’s why my office was not tied under any MDA like other SSAs rather I was given a platform to engage every MDA because Mr. President understands that disability is a crosscutting issue”.
He called on all organisations and advocates to come and contribute ideas for the success of the office.
“SSA is only one office and one individual, it would be impossible to achieve so much if others don’t partner with and work with me. I am running an open door policy, and there has been a performance target set for me by Mr. President which I must meet every week, so let’s all work together to ensure that the first office created by a Nigerian President for Persons With Disabilities succeeds”.
Peace Ezekiel of CCD and Maureen Egede from SCIAN were also in the delegation. The SSA promised the delegation that he will study the findings and engage the MDAs using them to enhance implementation.
