By Ikeugonna Eleke
A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), The All-Rights Foundation (TAF Africa), has rallied operatives of the Anambra Command of the Nigeria Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), to enforce the rights of People with Disabilities (PWDs) during elections.
The foundation, during a two-day workshop sponsored by the European Union (EU), called for the collaboration of security operatives who would be working during the November 8 Governorship Election in Anambra to ensure that PWDs voted with ease.
Senior Communications Officer of TAF Africa, Lynn Agwuncha, who was one of the resource persons, insisted that it was a right and not an act of pity to accord PWDs the right to vote with ease.
Agwuncha, while presenting a paper said: ‘We, as Nigerians, are usually compassionate, and most times, during elections, we see people who out of compassion would let PWDs to vote before them, because they pity their condition.
‘But I want to tell you today that even though that is good, PWDs should not get that out of pity, but because it is their right. Section 54 of the Electoral Act makes it a right for People with Disabilities to be attended to outside the queue; so, it is not about pity, but about the right.
‘They should enjoy priority voting and go home. They arrive the voting centre, walk up to the poll officials and introduce themselves, and they are allowed to vote and go home.
‘We have cases where security operatives have stopped a person with disability from driving into the polling centre, knowing full well that they cannot walk without such aid. That is why we are holding this workshop so that you as security agents will know that it’s is the right of this PWDs.
‘We are here to educate you on this, so that even when poll officials fail to acknowledge this right, you, as security operatives working during elections, can correct them from the point of knowledge.’
The workshop also featured paper presentation by the Senior Programme Officer of TAF Africa, Mr George Anwayi, on ”Bridging security agencies and the disability community for inclusive electoral participation in Anambra”.
The workshop was attended by operatives of the police, NSCDC, including their heads; and heads of disability clusters, led by the Chairman of the Joint National Association of People with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Mr Ugochukwu Okeke.
