By CrossRiverWatch Admin
Following the alleged abuse and violation of the fundamental human rights of a physically challenged female student by a Professor in the University of Calabar, the management of the institution has reacted to it saying the varsity is ‘disability compliant’.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic of the institution, Professor Florence Obi stated this while responding to a question bordering on the issue recently where she pointed out that the issue has been resolved stressed the institution does not discriminate against people with disabilities.
“We know that persons with disabilities have rights according to the 1948 convention, they have rights to education and nobody can stop them from accessing education. Even the 1990 ‘education for all agreement’ which Nigeria is a signatory to gives them equal rights to education. So for the University of Calabar it is disability friendly, it is inclusive in its nature” Professor Obi said.
On infrastructure, Obi said much more needs to be done in terms of accessibility for persons with disabilities, especially those using wheelchairs and added that the Varsity has developed its disability policy and that the Dean of Students Affairs is working on a disability center.
Pointing out that there are a number of persons with disabilities in the University of Calabar spread across the various departments, faculties, and institutes of the school and some who have graduate, Obi maintained that disabled students need to be academically sound, just like able students for them to keep their place in the University.
Furthermore, she said that complaints regarding students ‘sorting’, forced sales of hand-outs, forced sales of text books, sexual harassment has drastically reduced as the current administration led by Professor Zana Akpagu has embarked on sensitization across the department and faculty to alert the staffs of its students friendliness.
Also, she urged students to be bold in reporting issues of victimization to her office and called on lecturers and staff to be role models.
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