TQM Report,
The Nigeria Association of the Blind, FCT Chapter has called all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) including private sectors to ensure that they reflect 5% employment opportunities for people with disabilities in compliance with Section 29 of Discrimination Against Persons With Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018.
This was topmost in their message during a press conference on Friday in Abuja to mark the closure of the organization’s project supported by Disability Rights Fund.
The Project which kicked off in August 2020 was designed to enhance employment opportunities for persons with disabilities in the FCT
The project manager, Mr. Obinna Ekujereonye Bede while speaking with the press expressed sadness over the negligence of people with disabilities in work places due to perception, fear and myth etc.
“Persons with disabilities especially the blind are frequently not considered potential members of the workforce. Perception, fear, myth and prejudice continue to limit understanding and acceptance of disability in workplaces everywhere”.
“Myths abound, including that accommodating a person with disability in the workplace is expensive”.
“Public infrastructure and services are the bedrock of any society’.
“They provide opportunities for citizens, to fully participate and contribute to economic growth and societal development”.
“Many graduates with disabilities struggle to be gainfully employed and then end up in the streets as beggars just to survive in a society that discriminates against them”.
“With the Discrimination against Persons with Disability (Prohibition Act 2018) Part VI of the Act section 29, provides clarification on the rights of persons with disabilities to employment opportunities, with at least 5% opportunity in all government and private institutions. Backed up by Article 27 of United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), all states that persons with disability should not be discriminated against because of their disabilities as they have equal right to work and access opportunities out there”.
Obinna stated that in the course of the project, some strategies such as Media awareness and sensitization, Strengthening and training of OPDs, Intense discussion and engagement with Stakeholders And advocacy visits to relevant stakeholders were deployed to achieve their objective.
He said that some stakeholders that they advocated to made some commitments, they are FCT Vocational and Training Institute committed to engaging PWDS in their next training.
Also the Federal Civil Service Commission which was represented by the Commissioner Rivers/ Bayelsa buttressed on the importance of the 5% job opportunity to the community of people with disabilities. He assured to accommodate PWDS once the embargo on job recruitment is lifted. The FCT Ministry also expressed their interest and agreed to set up committee to look into their request.
The National Directorate of Employment (NDE), did not only make commitment, they swung into action by requesting for names of PWDS graduates in each of the 36 states for graduate assistance programme.
He also appreciated DRF for supporting the project and extended his gratitude to the media who have really amplified all the messages coming from the project and to all the stakeholders and PWDs in the FCT for their collaboration and synergy.
Jacob Agada, the Chairman, NAB FCT in his goodwill message thanked DRF for giving NAB FCT such opportunity and pleaded to DRF to always support them in their quest to record milestones in employment opportunities of persons with disabilities.
The Chairman, Joint National Association for Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) FCT, Abdulmumuni Ujah expressed satisfaction on the way NAB FCT made PWDs in FCT proud by completing the project in a high because it witnessed a lot of successes. He appreciated DRF for supporting Organizations of Persons With Disabilities (OPDs).
Theophilus Odaudu, Program Officer at DRF in Nigeria while appreciating NAB FCT for diligently carrying out the project in the last one year, he reminded that NAB FCT should put up a follow up mechanism to track all the commitments from the duty bearers to ensure the sustainability of the project in fulfilment of the promise they made to DRF in their application.
He reiterated that in as much as the press conference is officially closing the project, NAB FCT should sustain the tempo and maintain contact to keep a tab on all the commitments from the project to ensure implementation.
“That’s only when it will be said that the project has achieved it’s set objectives” he concluded.
