Mrs. Treasure Uchegbu, Convener and Lead Facilitator, Speaking Fingers Network, an NGO, has commended the Independent National electoral Commission (INEC) for involving People with Disabilities (PWDs) in the electoral process.
Uchegbu made the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos State on Tuesday.
“INEC was able to carry along PWDs in the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections.
“Although to some extent, we still have pockets of disgruntled people like the deaf, whom ballot papers could not get to.
“The truth also is, if you look at the humongous logistics that INEC had to put in place to be able to conduct that elections, you would only but want to praise the commission.
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“For the fact that the electoral process caused the creation of a disability desk is also worth rejoicing.
“Some PWDs even had opportunity to monitor the elections and work as ad hoc staff; so for me, that is a milestone.
“So we want to celebrate INEC and at the same time ask the commission to do more in the next election,’’ Uchegbu said.
The inclusion advocate also urged INEC look at the loopholes and review the feedback it got, to ensure that no one will be disenfranchised in future elections.
She also urged INEC to engage more PWDs, saying that this class of people could not be advocate of improved electoral process, as it concerned them, without their participation in such process.
Uchegbu said though most PWDs lacked the prerequisite capacity to be able to make input in the electoral process, the commission could still make use of those of them with prerequisite capacity to boost the electoral process.
“Let INEC get the ones that are exposed and have travelled to developed countries, or those even living abroad.
“With this, the commission will be able to find out what is working in their climes that can be replicated in the electoral process to suit them.
“That is also a way of involving them’’. (NAN)
