Center for Ability, Rehabilitation and Empowerment in Nigeria( CARE-Nigeria) has demanded inclusion of persons with disabilities in 774, 000 jobs proposed by Ministry of Labour, Employment & Productivity.
The Executive Director of CARE-Nigeria, Dr. Chike Okogwu in a letter dated 1st July, 2020, addressed to Office of The Honourable Ministry of State, Labour, Festus Keyamo SAN said that the disability community was taken aback when in all the press release and statement of the job opportunities, no specific or clearcut mention of PWDs.
Dr. Chike, who is also one of the conveners of Coalition of Disability Organizations and a stakeholder of Joint National Association of Persons with disabilities(JONAPWD) in this letter titled CLEAR NON-INCLUSION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN THE 774,000 EARMARKED NATIONWIDE JOB RECRUITMENT EXERCISE, lamented that stakeholders of disability community were not invited or consulted to make inputs in the conception stage of the recruitment exercise. It is completely in negation of PART VI, No.29 of Nigeria Disability Act which was historically signed by President Buhari in January, 2018.
He urged the ministry of state etch his name in history by including PWDs in this exercise.
He concluded by proposing a consultative stakeholder meeting to discuss and chat harmonious strategies for PWDs inclusion in the laudable programme.
We learnt that Ministry of State, Barrister Festus Keyamo in his response confirmed that the state chairmen of National Directorate pf Employment have been directed to capture PWDs.
Based on this response, CARE-Nigeria is calling on JONAPWD state chairmen to immediately engage all National Directorate of Employment offices to demand at least 5% of the jobs are reserved for PWDs in accordance with Part VI, No. 29 of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018.
