By our reporter Stakeholders have said that the implementation plan of the Lagos State Social Protection Policy requires active participati...
By our reporter
Stakeholders have said that the implementation plan of the Lagos State Social Protection Policy requires active participation of clusters of partners cutting across sectors and inter-government agencies, all of which must be enhanced to actively play roles expected of them in order to achieve success.
They advised the state government to collaborate with international development partners, other tiers of government, ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), chief security officers (CSOs) media, the private sector, individuals, relevant research institutes and others found expedient for effective implementation of the plan.
This is contained in the Lagos State Social Protection Policy Review and Multi Year Budget Analysis Report presented by a senior legal adviser of SERAP, Mrs Adelanke Aremo during the 2nd Roundtable Meeting with the Lagos State Social Protection Technical Working Group (TWG) and the media on Promoting Citizen-led Accountability in Lagos State Social Protection Programme held at the Shoregate Hotel, Joel Ogunnaike Street, GRA, Ikeja.
She noted that different authors defined social protection in different ways, including the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
Flowing from different authors, she descri9bed social protection as initiatives undertaken by government of Nigeria for the purpose of addressing vulnerabilities, assisting the poor, providing cover for members of the society in the case of unexpected events.
“Therefore social protection is a tool of the government of the nation to drive development and ensure social justice. Simply said, it is an attempt to bridge the gap between the priviledged and the less priviledged, to bridge the gap between the poor and the rich so that there can be a level playing ground for all citizens”, she said.
The report noted that presently, social protection programmes which come various quarters are largely uncoordinated adding that this has resulted in duplication of efforts and lop-sidedness in programme focus and limited effectiveness of interventions.
Mrs Aremo said that the Covid 19 pandemic exposed the need for a strong policy on social protection that would cater for emergency situations.
According to her, vulnerable persons could not access palatives during the period as most of them were looted.
“The Pandemic made us realize that there was no strong policy to cater for people during emergencies and it had a lot of ripple effect on the people who are the beneficiaries, most especially people who are marginalized and vulnerable which include children, women and persons with disabilities”, she said.
Mrs Akudo Moses-Okoh who represented the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) who spoke from the human rights perspective lamented that the human rights of persons with disability has always been in constant violation because of their disability.
She said most times, employers refused to employ them and that they face all kinds of discrimination in the society.
“The violations come from exclusion from education, poverty, dislocation and also barriers faced by these vulnerable persons even in the health system.
“A person with disability should be able to access adequate standard of living, social protection as the law requires, as well as employment and there should be respect of the rights of the vulnerable people without any form of discrimination. Anything short of this amounts to a gross violation of their rights”, she emphasized.
A Director, Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, Agboola Lawal-Akapo commended SERAP for what it has been doing within the society noting the organization has initiated a lot of cases in the court on pro-bono basis for complainants and defendants who are cheated within the society.
He wondered what would have happened to a lot of people with disability if SERAP and similar organization are in the society to support the less priviledge, noting that their activities have been responsible for the various award won by the organization within and from outside the country.
Mrs Olukanmi Abokai-Eniola who represented Managing Director, Lagos State Office of Disability Affairs (LASODA) said that the agency which speaks and protects the rights of the PWDs, will not relent on its oars by defending these rights.
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