The Protection and Rule of Law (PROL) program convened a high-level town-hall meeting at City Green Hotel, Yola, focused on advancing the rights of Persons with Disabilities (PWD). The forum drew an impressive cross-section of government and community stakeholders, including the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Bar Association, Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Legal Aid Council, Organizations of Persons with Disabilities, and local community leaders.
The Chairperson of the Organization of Persons with Disabilities, Salamatu Abdullahi Esq delivered a compelling presentation on the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities, the support received so far, and the areas where further assistance is needed. She emphasized the multiple forms of discrimination they continue to encounter, including attitudinal, policy, and environmental barriers that hinder their full and equal participation in society.
The keynote speaker, Gabriel Christopher Adikwu Esq, in his Keynote address, offered a regional perspective on legal inclusion. He highlighted how the constitutions of several African countries have recognized and promoted the rights of persons with disabilities. However, he lamented the absence of such provisions in the Nigerian Constitution. He urged Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) to rise and actively demand the recognition and enforcement of their rights, stressing that meaningful change must begin with their own advocacy efforts and he pledged his support by offering Pro Bono legal services to PWDs.
To further illustrate these challenges, members of the Protection Action Group (community volunteers) from Yola South LGA performed a drama. The performance depicted the daily struggles of persons with disabilities and the process of referring rights violations to the Protection and Rule of Law (PRoL) sector for appropriate action.