The Coalition of Disability Organizations (CODO) has demanded inclusion in Presidential Task Force on Coronavirus Pandemic in Nigeria.
According to the group, the Nigerian government has continued to ignore them by paying lip service, with no concrete plan to address their issues raised even this period of COVID-19 pandemic, which is sign of neglect and marginalization of over 25 million Nigerians with disabilities, reports Vanguard.
“On Saturday 4th April 2020, we had resolved to defy the stay at home order and risk our lives to disrupt the daily Presidential Task Force briefing on COVID-19 because, the government after contacting us through Hon. Danjuma Atta, the Senior Special Adviser on Disability matters to Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development pleaded with us to meet with our representatives in the Ministry’s office on Monday 6th April, 2020 to resolve all the issues we raised over the previous weekend. This meeting has not held till date” according to the statement.
“By way of notice, this coalition, just as we did to push for the signing into law of our Disabilities Rights Act (2018) has resolved to demand for our rights even a great risks to our lives to disrupt the PTF briefings to show the world how insensitive our government is to the plights of persons with disabilities in the time of emergencies.
