Day physically challenged people advocated equal opportunities

In commemoration of this year’s International Day of Persons With Disabilities on December 3, people with disabilities under the aegis of Physically Challenged Citizens of Nigeria (PCCN), a nongovernmental organization founded by Owolabi Tijani, son of acclaimed Africa’s foremost mouth painter, Idowu Akinrolabu, came together to canvass for equal opportunities for people living with disabilities.

They charged the government to increase the right of the physically challenged to participate in public life as it is essential to create stable democracies, active citizenship and reduce inequalities in society.

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Leading the advocacy, Owolabi said giving a special day to celebrate the estimated one billion people living with one disability or the other around the world is commendable, noting that “it is a good sense of belonging which always boosts the morale and makes them feel they are equally loved and appreciated in the society.”

He, however, added that more focus and inclusion in the affairs of the state for the skilled, talented and professional among them to show their dexterity would go a long way in developing the nation.

Explaining the genesis of PCCN, he stated that after the death of his father who was popular for his mouth painting, he saw the need to give life to many others who were greatly talented and could add value to the country but had challenges of physical impairment. “We have been in existence for over five years now and as the founder of the organisation, I must confess that it has not been an easy task for me to take all of these people along with the necessary funding required to pull through. We must appreciate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State and Femi Gbajabiamila for their unflinching support towards the group in the last five years.

“We have been able to make over a hundred people independent; we distributed over 700 wheelchairs and over 2,000 clutches in different states.  Also, we have people who can now paint with their mouths too. I am really passionate about them,” he said.

Meanwhile, as the 2019 elections gather momentum, the group through its founder has thrown its weight behind President Muhammadu Buhari and Babajide Sanwo-Olu just like it did for the APC in 2015. To show its support, it has concluded plans to hold a mega walk in the six Geo political zones of the country to mobilize over 1.5 million physically challenged for the re-election bid of President Buhari and all APC governorship candidates in other states of the country between December 17, 2018 and February 4, 2019.

“We are all enjoying the giant strides of the present administration; that is why we may look biased in our support for a political candidate. The PDP administration has failed us woefully and we are really unhappy. We had approached them before now to help pass a bill for People Living with Disability, PLWD, which will give certain privileges to people with different forms and degrees of disabilities but they turned it down,” he concluded.