by Chris Agbo,
The minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has promised to give directive to all Television stations nationwide to employ sign language interpreters to carry along Deaf viewers during major news casting.
He disclosed this during an advocacy visit to his office by Mr. David Obinna Anyaele, Executive Director of Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) and his team.
He said that he has consulted the Director General, National Broadcasting Commission to see how possible it would be to have as policy sign language interpreters in all TV Stations and he was told that broadcasting code accommodated it. So, he promised to send a circular by tomorrow to NTA and all other TV stations stating the broadcasting code to ensure that sign language interpreters are engaged. He assured CCD that in the coming weeks, sign language interpreters should be seen in TV stations across the country.
Speaking further, he promised to make available all the platforms within the control of the ministry to promote the Discrimination against Persons with disabilities (Prohibition) act in line with section 2 of the act which saddled the responsibility of creating awareness about the act on the ministry. He charged CCD to develop contents and materials that they want to promote, he will ensure that they are promoted.
Alhaji Lai Mohammed also promised to work with CCD in area of advocacy to see how section 28 and 29 of the act which states that 5percent of the working staff should be PWDs would be achieved. He said that Federal Government has been friendly to PWDs because in Survival Funds being administered by Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, there is a major provision that allocated certain percentage to women and PWDs, 45percent to women and 10percent to PWDs of whatever that are being administered. He urges CCD to follow up and always ensure that PWDs enjoy these provisions and CCD also need to look at other programmes of the government in the areas of poverty alleviation, survival funds especially in the government economic sustainable plans.
While praising David Anyaele for being a dogged fighter, he expressed his joy that APC government met all their campaign promises to Nigerians with Disabilities by signing disability bill into an act as well as creating a National Commission for Persons with Disabilities which is up and running.
Earlier, the Executive Director, CCD, Mr. David Obinna Anyaele in his statement presented some key requests: implementation of section 2 of the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018, full employment of sign language interpreters in Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) which was observed during the peak of COVID-19, they were using SLI at their 7am News but suddenly these services during news casting diminished, Nigeria Broadcasting Commission to include the use of Sign Language Interpreters in all television news as a policy of the State. It will serve as a direct commitment for the full implementation of the Act by the Ministry, to conducted audit of his ministry staff strength to ensure that 5percent of the staff capacity are reserved for PWDs in line with section 28 and 29 of Nigeria Disability act which provides for right to work and opportunity for employment. In fact, section 29 provides that all employers of labour in public organisations shall as much as possible have person with disabilities constituting at least 5% of their employment, to collaborate with the ministry to build the capacity of Senior Ministry officials on the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018. It will enhance the full implementation of the Act and service delivery of the Ministry on persons with disabilities and finally seek the partnership of the Ministry on the CCD proposed National Summit on Persons with Disabilities. A summit expected to hold by second quarter of the year, with participants drawn from the 36 States of the Federation.
Some other pictures of the visit;
