Our Rights Not Respected, Ogun PWDs Lament

Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Ogun State have accused the state government of failing to respect, protect and guarantee their rights eight years after the passage of the Ogun State Disability Law.

The groups said this during a press conference held by the Ogun State disability community on Monday.

Speaking on behalf of the community, the Interim National President of the Spinal Cord Injuries Association of Nigeria (SCIAN), Abdulwahab Matepo, said PWDs in the state were “deeply disappointed” that the law signed in 2017 had yet to be implemented.

Matepo noted that despite being signed by former Governor Ibikunle Amosun in 2017, the law was never gazetted and therefore remained non-operational.

“One would have expected that the Amosun government would Gazette the law and make it operational, but he did nothing of such until he left office,” he said, describing the situation as “an abandonment of the rights of 15% of the state’s population.”

He added that the current administration led by Governor Dapo Abiodun had made no significant effort to address the issue.

“The present administration has less than two years left in office but has not thought it fit to either gazette the Amosun law or amend it,” he lamented.

The disability community, he said, had made several attempts to provide workable solutions.

Matepo explained that a multi-stakeholder review workshop was held in January 2025 to identify gaps in the existing law.

According to him, the group also embarked on several advocacy visits to traditional rulers, lawmakers and ministries.

Matepo expressed frustration that months after the advocacy efforts, nothing had changed.

The group said their disappointment deepened when they attended a stakeholder forum on a proposed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Bill.

“We made a categorical stand that the rights of Persons with Disabilities must not be lumped into a DEI Bill,” Matepo stated. “They agreed. They promised again. But still, nothing has changed.”

He described this year’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities celebration in the state as “bittersweet,” citing poor accessibility and inadequate planning.

“We were celebrated, yet sidelined; honoured, yet ignored; recognised, yet not included.

“This is the charity model we are fighting against because disability rights are not favours; they are human rights,” he said.

The disability community presented four key demands to the state government including urgent re-enactment and gazetting of the Disability Law, immediate establishment of a Disability Commission, inclusion of a dedicated disability budget line in the 2026 Appropriation Bill, and enforcement of accessibility standards across public facilities.

Matepo emphasised that the community was not seeking pity but justice.

“We are asking for inclusion, not tokenism. We are asking for respect, not charity,” he said. “You have the chance to become the first Ogun State Governor to fully implement disability rights, not on paper, but in reality.”

He vowed that PWDs in the state would continue to advocate until their rights are fully recognised. “We will not be silent. We will continue to speak. We will continue to organise. We will continue to push,” he said.

END

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