Stakeholders have called on the National Assembly to ensure that the interests of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) are fully captured in the proposed amendment of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
The call was made on Friday in Akure, Ondo State, during a two-day capacity-building workshop organised for PWDs in the state.
The workshop, organised by the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities with support from the Ford Foundation, had the theme: “Ending Barriers against Niger Deltans with Disabilities.”
Speaking at the event, the Acting Director of the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities, Mr. Godwin Unumeri, said the proposed amendment was necessary to protect and promote the rights of PWDs in the Niger Delta.
Unumeri, who was represented by the organisation’s finance manager, Florence Austin, urged lawmakers to incorporate the demand charter of PWDs into Section 3 of the Act.
He said although the PIA 2021 represents progress in addressing challenges in oil-producing communities, it does not specifically recognise or protect persons with disabilities.
He also appealed to President Bola Tinubu to assent to the amended law once passed, insisting that PWDs must be included in the Niger Delta benefit-sharing structure.
“While the PIA provides a framework for inclusion and participation, evidence has shown that not all groups within host communities are benefitting equally,” he said, adding that persons with disabilities remain among the most excluded.
He explained that the workshop was designed to strengthen the capacity of PWDs and disability-focused organisations to engage stakeholders, advocate for inclusion in PIA implementation, and promote accountability in community development processes.
Also speaking, the chairman of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities in Ondo State, Mr. Abiodun Olusegun, said the review of the Act was long overdue.
Olusegun urged the National Assembly to consider the plight of PWDs in the Niger Delta and expedite passage of the amended law for presidential assent.
