Persons with Disabilities Lament Current Economic Hardship

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

Forum of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in Edo State has called on the government at all levels to address their plight following the removal of fuel subsidy, stressing the need for inclusive and sustainable programmes and policies to mitigate the impact of fuel subsidy removal.

Convener, Edo Disability Forum (EDF), Melody Omosah, made the call in Benin City, at a press briefing with the theme, ‘Mitigating the impact of fuel subsidy removal on persons with Disabilities: The Need for Inclusive and Functional Social Protection Mechanism’.
Omosah, who is also the Executive Director, Network for the Advancement of People with Visible Disability (NAPVID) lamented the adverse impact of the removal of fuel subsidy policy on Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), saying it is particularly severe, as persons with disabilities grapple with heightened vulnerability in the absence of adequate social protection mechanisms.

He said the forum was drawing the attention of the government of Edo State to the predicament of PWDs and to urge policy makers, stakeholders and the public to rally behind the course as well as take collective action to ensure that no one is left behind in the wake of these changes.

Omosah, further noted that PWDs are three times more disadvantaged and disproportionately affected by the fuel subsidy removal, adding that fuel subsidy removal is fostering inequality and inequity against PWDs and limiting their inclusivity and opportunities.
 “It is no longer news that the recent removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government has triggered unprecedented surge in the cost of living, affecting the lives and livelihoods of Nigerians.

“What may be news is that the adverse impact of this policy on Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) is particularly severe, as they grapple with heightened vulnerability in the absence of adequate social protection mechanisms.
“The pronouncement by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu immediately resulted in the astronomical hike in the amount of PMS or fuel and concomitantly, the price of goods and services.

“This in general, has reduced the purchasing power of Nigerians and has particularly exacerbated the life and livelihood of PWDs, as any sudden disruption to a people’s social, economic, and political life, heightens the vulnerability of persons with disabilities.

“Currently, the estimated 675,000 PWDs in Edo State, are groaning under the weight of the removal of subsidy on fuel by the Nigeria government, as no functional social protection mechanism has been specifically put in place to ensure their survival. Sadly, this has further increased their vulnerability, leading to an endless cycle of poverty and disabilities”, he declared.