The Joint Association of Persons with Disabilities, Niger Delta region, has condemned the discriminatory policies operated by oil companies in the area, against persons living with physical disabilities.
President of the association, Comrade David ThankGod Enogho, who spoke with The Tide in an interview in Port Harcourt, yesterday said, oil companies in the Niger Delta were insensitive to the plight of person’s living with physical disabilities.
He regretted a situation, where a broad section of the population of the people, would be completely shut out in the policy implementation of the oil companies.
He said, apart from Intells Services that has eight physically challenged persons as its employees, no other oil company in the state gives employment opportunities to persons living with physical disability.
He called for proper statistics of persons with disabilities and their proper inclusion in issues of national planning and development.
Also speaking, the Public Relaions Officer, PRO of the body, Comrade, David Gbarato called for the implementation of the Handicapped Person’s Welfare Enhancement Law, assented to by the previous administration in the state.
The PRO, also called on the Rivers State House of Assembly to be proactive in the enactment of laws that will provide an inclusive policy for persons living with disabilities and urged legislative vigilance against the discriminatory policies by multinationals in the area.
Comrade Gbarato also called for the enlistment of persons living with disabilities into security agencies, such as Army, Navy, Police, National Security and Civil Defence Corps, (NSCDC), Department of State Security among others. He reasoned that, “effective security and policing does not only require physical capability, but the use of modern information technology to check crime and ensure security alertness”.
He called on the Rivers State Government to introduce facilities in public structures to accommodate persons with special needs and canvassed for mass skill- based training for persons living with physical disabilities.
Taneh Beemene