The Chairman, Nigerian Union of Journalists, (NUJ) FCT Chapter and the National Coordinator, Journalists for Disability Inclusion (J4DI) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), to create special Centres for Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in the ongoing Continuous Voters Registration (CVR).
Speaking at the inauguration of members of J4DI, held in Abuja on Wednesday, Ogbeche, said Persons With Disabilities have come out in their thousands to register to obtain their Permanent Voters Card but have to struggle to complete the process especially with the recent upsurge in the number of people at designated registration centres.
“The Crowd at the registration centres is a threat to persons with disabilities, they cannot struggle with other people and the distance and other factors have been responsible for low turnout of PWDs in the Continuous Voters registration”.
He said: “There is a need for special centers or designated slots within these centres in existence exclusively for persons with disability. Because when you’re talking about 2023, we want inclusion. We have about 67,000 plus PWDs who have completed registered at CVR, he could have been more if not for these factors mitigating against PWDs in the exercise.
“If you look at the INEC data, there is the possibility that among Persons With Disability, there individuals that have not been able to register. So, we are making an appeal to INEC to consider setting up special exclusive centres for Persons With Disabilities”.
The Founder of The Albino Foundation (TAF), and a major partner and Board member of J4DI, Mr. Jake Epelle, stressed the need for the media to prioritise the reportage of issues affecting Persons With Disabilities.
Speaking further, he said that: “It is a journey we have all started, a new page that has just been opened by your becoming the first entity involved in this all important issue of the inclusion of Persons With Disabilities.
“We are glad that this dream has become reality. But a lot still needs to be done. The work has just began. Please let us leverage on the connections we have and the access we have created. A lot more has to be done to project the work J4DI does”.
The Executive Director, The Qualitative Magazine, Comrade Christian Agbo who is a member of the group in his submission appreciated all the journalists who have developed interest in reporting disability issues, he urged them to be steadfast.
He prescribed that the capacity of the members of the group must built on disability issues, they should be knowledgeable about the relevant laws and policies so that they can always ask the right questions.
Also speaking at the event, National President of the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Mrs. Ladi Bala, stated the preparedness of her association to focus on issues affecting Persons With Disabilities.
She averred that an egalitarian society must have policies and laws which protect the rights of Persons With Disabilities and other minority groups.
She said: “This (J4DI) is the way to go. Nigeria belongs to all of us. When we talk about inclusion, when you talk about development and then a particular demographic unit of the society is being pushed away, their rights are not being recognized, it is a sad narrative”.
Bala urged members of J4DI to continue to champion the mainstreaming matters concerning Persons With Disabilities.
“I believe that God has saddled journalists with the responsibility of changing the mind set of people, of mobilizing people for a noble cause. We are in the middle because we are neither here nor there. What we do is to galvanize the whole society for a common cause”, she said.
