As Nigerians celebrate Democracy Day, the National Leader of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dr. Chike Okogwu, has declared that democracy remains incomplete as millions of Nigerians living with disabilities continue to battle hunger, unemployment, discrimination and exclusion.
In a hard-hitting Democracy Day message titled “Democracy Without Access Is Democracy Denied,” Okogwu lamented that four years after he warned about the plight of persons with disabilities ahead of the 2023 elections, little has changed for the better.
According to him, democracy cannot be said to be working when vulnerable citizens are denied access to opportunities, healthcare, transportation, employment and public infrastructure.
“Democracy is not measured by speeches but by the condition of the most vulnerable citizens. If a wheelchair user cannot access a public building, democracy has failed. If a blind graduate cannot get a job because of discrimination, democracy has failed,” he said.
Okogwu painted a grim picture of the hardship facing persons with disabilities, saying the economic crisis and rising cost of living have pushed many into extreme poverty.
He noted that many PWDs now struggle to afford food, transportation, medication and other basic necessities, while some survive on one meal a day.
“Many elderly persons with disabilities go to bed hungry, while families caring for children with disabilities are drowning financially,” he lamented.
The ADC chieftain also raised concerns over the worsening insecurity in the country, stressing that persons with disabilities are often the most vulnerable during kidnappings, attacks and displacement crises.
He argued that emergency response systems and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps rarely consider the special needs of persons with disabilities, leaving them exposed to greater danger.
On unemployment, Okogwu decried what he described as widespread discrimination against qualified persons with disabilities in the labour market.
He said thousands of educated and skilled PWDs remain jobless because employers often focus on disability rather than competence.
“The tragedy is not unemployment alone; the tragedy is wasted potential,” he stated.
The disability advocate further highlighted challenges in healthcare, transportation, electricity supply and digital access, insisting that millions of Nigerians living with disabilities remain excluded from services many citizens take for granted.
He particularly lamented the poor implementation of the Disability Act, saying the law remains largely ineffective because many of its provisions have not been fully enforced.
“The law exists, but many of its promises remain invisible in everyday life. History does not remember governments for the laws they sign; history remembers governments for the lives they change,” he said.
Okogwu also questioned whether hungry and struggling Nigerians living with disabilities could genuinely celebrate Democracy Day.
“Can a hungry person celebrate democracy? Can an unemployed graduate with disability celebrate democracy? Can a wheelchair user trapped by inaccessible infrastructure celebrate democracy?” he asked.
He called on government at all levels, political parties, the private sector and civil society groups to move beyond rhetoric and embrace genuine inclusion.
According to him, the ADC’s vision for governance includes social protection programmes for vulnerable citizens, targeted disability grants, accessible healthcare, inclusive education, employment opportunities and stronger enforcement of disability rights.
“The disability community is not asking for pity. We are demanding participation. We are not seeking charity. We are demanding justice. We are not requesting special treatment. We are demanding equal opportunity,” he said.
Okogwu maintained that over 30 million Nigerians living with disabilities remain a valuable national asset whose talents and contributions are being wasted due to exclusion and neglect.
He urged leaders to remember that the strength of any democracy is reflected in how it treats its weakest citizens.
“A nation is not judged by how it treats its strongest citizens. A nation is judged by how it treats its weakest,” he declared.
He concluded by insisting that until persons with disabilities are fully included in national life and governance, Nigeria’s democratic journey remains unfinished.
