Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Edo has urged the Federal Government to amend the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 to reserve five per cent of jobs in oil companies for them.
The made the in a charter developed by PWDs at the end of a three-day workshop in Benin.
The workshop focused on securing the inclusion of PWDs in benefit structures outlined in the PIA across the Niger Delta region.
The workshop facilitated by Center for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) had as the theme, “Ending Barriers Against Niger Deltans with Disabilities (EBAND), to produce the final document.
One key demand in the charter was that in line with the National Disabilities Law, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) should ensure that oil companies employed at least five per cent of PWDs in host communities.
Other demands included in the charter called on NUPRC to include PWDs in Host Communities Development Trusts (HCDTs) and ensure PIA-funded projects were accessible to people with disabilities.
They also called for access to healthcare, educational scholarships, and proper data collection of PWDs resident in oil-producing host communities.
PWDs further urged their inclusion in the assessment of host community needs to ensure their interests were properly represented and addressed.
The group called for the integration of disability rights into Trust Deeds and the operational frameworks guiding host communities’ development activities.
In his remarks, Mr Godwin Unumeri, Acting Director of CCD, said the charter reflected Edo PWDs’ unified voice calling for inclusion in PIA frameworks.
He urged PWDs to actively seek appointments across Edo’s economic sectors, cautioning them not to rely solely on philanthropic gestures from government.
NAN
