TQM report,

Miss Uzoamaka Stella Ike is a person with a physical disability. With her unique type of disability, she is unable to walk or use her hands, hence, she uses a wheelchair and she is always in the company of personal care attendant (brother).

Nevertheless, she works twice as hard as anyone and leads a fulfilling and purposeful life, leading a formidable movement of persons advocating for the rights of persons with disabilities and that requires her to be on the move quite a lot, including attending some refresher training or fellowship programme

She set out to attend a one-week GBV training and fellowship organized by the Inclusive Friends Association, IFA, on the 8th day of March 2021 when she was subjected to utter discriminatory treatment by Dana Air at its Enugu terminal. She was charged an extra Four Thousand Five
Hundred Naira (N4,500.00) for her wheelchair which is her only source of mobility.

Despite her protestations and the emotional trauma and anxiety it caused her, she had to pay the sum else she would have been denied the lawful right to board the aircraft to Abuja to enable her to attend her training, having purchased return air tickets for herself and her caregiver.

Again, Dana Air repeated this abhorrent treatment at their Abuja terminal, where Miss Ike who was due to return home after the training was charged the same amount for what a staff of the airline now christened “Special Assistance Fee/Charge” which he claimed were to offset the bill of the airline’s partners who assisted persons in wheelchairs or other Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) that require help to board and/or disembark its aircraft. Even in the face of the express provision of Section 14 of the disability Act which mandates airlines to provide such assistance. Never mind that Miss Ike had a caregiver who for the most part assisted her in this regard.

Despite the national outcry from Nigerians, especially the community of PWDs, against its discriminatory policies, Dana Air continues to play the proverbial unrepentant Devil that takes delight in inflicting maximum torture on his/its unwilling victims. Or so it seems. The airline has not relented in perpetuating practices that dehumanize or degrade passengers with disabilities, including reducing them to mere chargeable excess luggage, and which are a monumental affront to the overriding intent or purpose of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, a fortiori, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) (“the Constitution”). 
 
As if denying PWDs from flying at night is not enough grinch on their fundamental human rights, Dana Air has gone one step further to charge them more for being disabled, even at this time of the Covid-19 pandemic, when most PWDs are facing even more excruciating financial imbalance over and above most of their counterparts without disabilities.
 
Sadly enough, it must be said that despite the prohibition of all forms of discrimination under Section 42 of the Constitution, discrimination against persons with disabilities in Nigeria has become a national crisis. And the recent enactment of a national disability Act is yet to successfully prevent the mass exclusion and/or infringement or sordid mitigation of the basic human rights of persons with disabilities, such as safe and comfortable movement and/or accessible and affordable transportation, whether by land, water, or air, among others. Therefore, it is only in this province that one must properly appraise Dana Air’s “Wheelchair Charge” or the so-called “Special Assistance Charge”. Otherwise, one would be undermining the very essence of the national disability Act. But those who undermine the humanity which the Act underscores must know that they do so at their peril.
 
It is discriminatory, dehumanising, degrading, unconstitutional, and immoral for Dana Air (or any other airline) to demand and indeed collect “Wheelchair Charge” from PWDs and Uzoamaka Stella Ike, in particular. As PWDs shouldn’t bear the cost for accessibility. Wheelchairs or other assistive devices are an inherent part of PWDs, without which their rights to accessibility and freedom of movement cannot be guaranteed. 

This statement was released by Inclusive Friends Association, the Organization which Miss Ike attended their programme when these inhuman acts were perpetuated against her.

Below are the receipts of her extra payment to Dana Air for carrying her in and out the aircraft.

TQM report,

Plateau State Disability Commission have made commitment to partner with The Qualitative Magazine (TQM) to adopt their 17 trained correspondents from the 17 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the State as desk officers.

This was disclosed when TQM team embarked on an advocacy visit to the Commission to share with them the successes and findings of their project ” Connecting our Voices To The World” supported by Voice Nigeria.

The Executive Director, TQM, Agbo Chris Obiora, in his speech said that TQM visited all the local government areas and they found out that a lot of persons with disabilities are not aware of the Commission and what they can benefit from the Commission. He shared the success of the project ranging from those that got mobility aids, those that was enrolled in School, and awareness creation that assisted some persons with disabilities to get jobs and some organizations taking issues of disability inclusion very serious.

He emphasized the need for the Commission to partner with TQM to further discover persons with disabilities in the rural who need intervention even though the project is ending by end of March, 2021.

He informed that there is a lot of them that TQM discovered in the villages and that is why TQM resolved to recruit correspondents as part of sustainability plan of the project so that they will continue with what TQM have started in order to have a system that will always help to amplify the voices of those persons with disabilities who may never had opportunity of speaking to the press in their entire life.

He also thanked the Commission and the entire stakeholders within the disability community in Plateau State for support and encouragement all the project period.

The Secretary of the Commission, Karl Gurunyen, in his response congratulated TQM for a successful project. Speaking further, he said from the day of inception of this project, TQM have kept the ground running and the evidences were all over the place in Plateau State. He said that they are proud of TQM and what they have brought to PWDs in Plateau State.

He expressed concern over those in the hinterlands who does not even know the existence of the Commission and he put it in the door step of the State JONAPWD Executives who should be discovering their members because they have local government chapters, but since TQM is putting in place a system that will help in discovering them. The Commission will partner with TQM and use their correspondents in different LGAs as desk officers who would be reporting cases that need intervention to the commission andalso help the Commission in targeting those that really need to be empowered during their empowered programmes.

He said that TQM have been helping the Commission to carry out some empowerment programmes and he truly appreciate their effort because the Commission is under funded and needs a lot of organizations to come and partner with them for the benefit of persons with disabilities in Plateau State.

He expressed dismay that TQM project is ending saying that a project like this nature that is highly impactful should be allowed to stay longer. He urged Voice Nigeria to extend the project for TQM saying that there are more they can achieve in Plateau State and PWDs in Plateau State are enjoying impact of the project.

The Directors present at the meeting commended TQM and offered hands of fellowship for further partnership and collaboration and they pleaded to TQM to always answer the Commission each time they asked for partnership and collaboration in future.

The ED, accepted to always come around to assist each time, TQM is called upon and also told them that TQM have come to stay in Plateau State.

ED, TQM presented to the Commission, copies of TQM publications under “Connecting Our Voices To The World” project supported by Voice Nigeria.

TQM report,

FATE Foundation aims to support 2,000 young entrepreneurs whose micro and small businesses have been especially hard-hit by COVID-19.

Funded by the Standard Chartered Foundation, the project is part of futuremakers by Standard
Chartered, a global initiative to tackle inequality.

The global economy is suffering from catastrophic economic shocks as a result of COVID-19.
With typically tight margins, micro, small and medium businesses are vulnerable to economic downturn.

The current pandemic and the resulting lockdowns are having a particularly serious impact on business owners and entrepreneurs from underserved communities, including young people (aged 18-35 years), women, refugees and other migrants and those with disabilities and visual impairments.

Many are struggling to get through the crisis and need support now.

Micro small and medium businesses have a crucial role to play in economic recoveries post-COVID and ensuring supporting a diverse range of young entrepreneurs will contribute towards a richer, more varied and more resilient economy for everyone.

A statement quoted Funmilayo Hannah Awoyomi, an entrepreneur who owns 701 Stitches and is based in Kaduna to have said: “Small businesses like me have suffered a lot since March, 2020. Business has not been the same since the lockdown was first implemented. “We need to know how to compete without spending our entire savings on this digital marketing thing that everyone is talking about. I look forward to being part of a program like this.”

It stated that FATE Foundation will provide a holistic package of support including Digital Transformation Workshop, Resilience Building Series, and Remote Consulting & Advisor services to be delivered virtually to 2000 entrepreneurs across Nigeria.

“We will specifically target underserved entrepreneurs between the ages of 18-35 who have been hardest hit by the crisis,” it added.

Executive Director of FATE Foundation, Adenike Adeyemi said: “We are committed to supporting young Nigerian entrepreneurs contribute to the economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic and are excited to be part of their success stories.

“We are also excited about the potential of this program in making significant impact in the Nigerian Entrepreneurship space”.

Youth Business International and Standard Chartered Foundation are working together to provide crucial support to over 33,000 underserved young entrepreneurs in six countries across Africa, Asia and Europe.

They stated that priority will be given to traditionally disadvantaged business owners who have been particularly affected by the COVID-19 economic crisis, including rural, micro and female entrepreneurs, business owners with disabilities and visual impairments and those excluded from formal financial support.

The aim of the programme is to ensure that a diverse range of young entrepreneurs will contribute towards a richer, more varied and more resilient economy for everyone.

On her part, Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand and Marketing, Standard Chartered
Bank Nigeria, Dayo Aderugbo, said, “It is with great pleasure that we launch the Youth Business International initiative in Nigeria today in collaboration with the FATE Foundation.

“We are optimistic about the impact this initiative will have in lives of thousands of young entrepreneurs in the country and the ripple effect this investment will have on the nation.

“This initiative builds on the bank’s track record of supporting employable youths, adolescent girls and women through various financing and capacity building initiative.”

THISDAY

TQM report,

Residents of Ogun State have been called upon to stop stigmatizing and discriminating against people with leprosy, as well as other forms of disabilities, as doing so would do them no good and could further ostracize them.

Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Efuwape made this call during a joint celebration of the 2021 International Leprosy Day and International Wheelchair Day, at the Women Development Trainning Centre, Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta during which items including wheelchairs, grinding machine, deep freezers, industrial cooking gas, crutches and food items were donated.

Efuwape, represented by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Women Affairs, Hon. Adijat Adeleye while speaking on the themes for the Days, “Beat Leprosy, End Stigma and Advocate for Mental Wellbeing and Our Chair Our Mobility: No more Discrimination” noted that, the special people were celebrated to raise awareness about leprosy, which many people believe has gone into extinction, as well as end the discrimination and stigmatization being confronted by the people living with it.

“Currently, it is not only the disease that is being overlooked, but those affected by it, hence, the need for the theme. The persons with disabilities are often discriminated and stigmatized, while these have negative impacts on them”, Efuwape said.

In her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs. Melutia Ogunremi urged the people with disabilities to be courageous and not to serve as liabilities to others, adding that they should be ready to help themselves, so that people could help them.

‘’Nobody should stigmatize or discriminate against the persons with disabilities, as they are created for the glory of God”, Melutia said.

Appreciating the gesture, the Chairman, Ogun State Chapter of the Persons with disabilities, Mr. Olalekan Mohammed, appreciated the Prince Dapo Abiodun led administration and the Ministry for the support, while some of the beneficiaries, Messers. Lukmon Folonso and Cusmos Adeoye said the development would turn around their living conditions for the better.

TQM report,

On Saturday, 20th of March, 2021, The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons With Diabilities, Mr. James D. Lalu and his beautiful wife attended the burial ceremony of Late Mrs. Lydia Tinat, the mother of Mr. Timothy Tinat, the Protocal officer and Interpreter to the ES at their family home in Masaka, Nasarawa State.

The ceremony was also attended by the Director, Enforcement and Compliance, Barr. Ikem Uchegbulam, Mr. Haruna Tsavi ,Technical Assistant to the ES as well as a number of members from the Disability community who thronged the venue to commiserate with the bereaved.

The ES also paid a condolence visit at the residence of the Patriach of the Tinat family, Mr. Tinat and expressed his sympathy. He prayed the family received the strength to carry on in spite of the loss and extended kind regards to the grieving family on behalf of the Commission .

Timothy Tinat is a renowned sign language interpreter in Nigeria, he is the current president of Association of Sign Language Interpreters of Nigeria and The Executive Director of Deaf Resource Centre. He is one of the Sign Language Interpreters attached to The ES and he has never lack in his duties.

TQM commiserate with him in this painful loss and we say may the soul of the departed rest in perfect Peace.

TQM report,

The Heineken Africa Foundation, WaterAid Nigeria, civil society organisations and Federal Government have expressed satisfaction after a seven-month project that expanded hygiene access for 21 million marginalised and vulnerable Nigerians in Bauchi, Benue, Ekiti, Enugu, Kaduna and Oyo states was formally closed.

The N284m Scale-Up Hygiene project was aimed at complementing government’s efforts in reducing the spread of the Coronavirus through large-scale hygiene promotion and provision of handwashing facilities to support the practice of good hygiene in the states of intervention.

The Country Director of WaterAid Nigeria, Evelyn Mere, in a statement in Abuja said that despite the proven effectiveness of good hygiene to combat the spread of infectious diseases like COVID-19, millions of people in Nigeria do not have anywhere to wash their hands and lack the knowledge of how and why to wash hands properly.

According to her, the lack of facilities and knowledge creates a higher risk of illness and disease transmission, including the spread of COVID-19, with adverse impact on health, education, gender equality, livelihoods and socio-economic development.

“Under this project campaign, over 21 million residents around Bauchi, Benue, Ekiti, Enugu, Kaduna and Oyo states and Abuja were empowered with context-specific hygiene information and encouraged to practice good hygiene, using different promotional touchpoints including national, state and community TV and radio stations,” Mere said in the statement signed by the WaterAid Aid Nigeria Communications and Media Manager, Oluseyi Abdulmalik.

She added that about 210 non-contact and inclusive handwashing facilities were installed in healthcare facilities, schools and public places to support the practice of good hygiene.

She also said that hygiene packs containing face masks and soap were distributed to 29,000 households and 7,200 people with disabilities in the states of intervention.

She said, “Our advocacy has facilitated and continues to highlight the need to integrate WASH in health interventions targeted at tackling the coronavirus disease. While I am delighted that this project has successfully delivered on its objectives, the increasing number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 is an indication that the journey of expanding hygiene access has not ended. It has only just begun.”

She commended the Bauchi State’s provision of an additional 102 handwashing facilities, Ekiti State’s improvement of water access in four markets and Benue State’s contribution of N4m which enabled an additional 6,000 hygiene packs to be provided to households among others.

Also, the HEINEKEN Africa Foundation General Manager, Suzanne Giele, said, “Water, sanitation and hygiene have been on our agenda for many years already and I am happy that we have been able to scale up and accelerate our efforts in this field because handwashing with soap not only helps to protect against the spread of COVID-19 but also other infectious diseases. I am thrilled that together with WaterAid, we have been able to make a difference for communities during these very challenging times and after.

“It is crucial that we all continue to join hands to uphold the basic human rights to clean water, decent sanitation and hygiene for all, particularly for vulnerable communities, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, who continue to live without access to these basic essentials.”

The Qualitative Magazine (TQM), a disability advocacy magazine on Monday in Jos, Plateau State Capital urged NTA Jos to take the lead in mainstreaming the issues of disability in their reportage.

The Executive Director, TQM, Agbo Chris Obiora while addressing the management of NTA Jos during an advocacy visit, acknowledged the important role the media plays in influencing public opinion and attitudes and how persons with disabilities are portrayed and the frequency with which they appear in the media has an enormous impact on how they are regarded in society.

He stated that Persons with disabilities are often stigmatized or stereotyped, and may appear as either objects of pity or super heroic accomplishment. Showcasing their issues, challenges, talents, achievements etc. in programmes on television, radio, magazine and online platforms in addition to other types of media can help provide fair and balanced representation and helps to counter commonplace stereotypes that perpetuate negative perceptions of persons with disabilities.

“Persons with disabilities are often subjected to discrimination or exclusion from basic services such as health, education, training and work opportunities. This leaves many persons with disabilities and their families among the world’s poorest and most marginalized populations. Portraying persons with disabilities with dignity and respect in the media can help promote more inclusive and tolerant societies”he added.

He reminded that the media being the fourth estate of the realm, it is very important in our advocacy for a better society for persons with disabilities in Plateau State and Nigeria at large but it is unfortunate that the media have not provided enough opportunity for over 30 million Nigerians with disabilities to air the views to the understanding the public.

He thereby called on NTA Jos to take the lead so that others will follow because NTA is a critical stakeholder and it is the largest TV network in Nigeria.

He pointed out the concerns of persons with disabilities in accessing media services based on the survey TQM conducted in Plateau State under their “Connecting our Voices To The World” project supported by Voice Nigeria to ascertain the level at which persons with disabilities have access to media services.

Some of the concerns going by their findings were:

1, The media don’t give their issue enough time because they do not have enough money to pay for airtime

2, Inaccessibility of the physical structure of most media houses which has affected their access to media houses to air their views.

3, The media look at their issues as if it is all about charity when there is Plateau State Disability Law and the media have done little or nothing towards promoting the law which guarantee their rights.

4, The use of unacceptable terms in referring to different types of disability by the media, they said that it encourages discrimination.

He presented some prayers to the management of NTA:

1, For NTA Jos to work with us to develop a disability rights program to educate the public about disability rights in Plateau State and hold government accountable for the implementation of disability laws and policies.

2, Promote disability inclusion in all the programs by ensuring that they bring disability perspectives in all discuss, economic, entertainment, Climate, Education, Health, all their programs that geared towards educating the public.

2, NTA should as a matter of importance in accordance to Article Part 3 k(Access to Physical Structure) of Plateau State Disability Law to modify their building by providing ramps where necessary, accessible toilets, create disability parking lots.

3,   NTA should also provide their information at disability accessible format, TQM requested for the introduction of sign language interpretation in NTA Jos major news to enhance access to news and information to the deaf community.

4, The use of right terminologies in referring to different types of disability should be encouraged and a training of newscasters should be required, my organization would be willing to offer such if it is approved by you.

5, Finally, TQM advocated for them to develop a policy on disability to enhance a more healthy relationship in providing services to persons with disabilities.

The Executive Director thereafter presented the survey findings and some TQM publications to Zonal Director of NTA Jos to guide him in his effort to mainstream disability issues.

The Zonal Director, NTA Jos in his response applauded the work that TQM is doing Plateau State. She said that NTA Jos has been doing so well for persons with disabilities, they have sign language interpreting on their major news and they have a sign language tutorial program on NTA Jos every week.
He assured TQM team that he will look into other issues that they raised and also study the survey findings and the publications presented to further understand what is expected from them. He reminded TQM team that some of the prayers is beyond him, it should be directed to the headquarter especially the issue of the policy.

He promised to continue to support the leaders of persons with disabilities in Plateau State.

TQM report,

The Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) has urged the United Nations Women and other Women Movements to draw up and implement an all-inclusive strategy for effective inclusion of Women With Disabilities (WWD) in their programs.

National President, JONAPWD, and Executive Director of FACICP DISABILITY PLUS, Mrs. Ekaete Judith Umoh said this at a high profile gathering in commemoration of International Women’s Day. The August gathering sought to examine how women are faring globally with the aim of designing strategies for women empowerment and gender equality. This year’s theme was: Choose To Challenge.

Mrs Umoh, while addressing a high level panel, choose to challenge the invisibility of Women with Disabilities in the global women’s space. Thereafter, she stressed the need for Women Movements to create room to accommodate Women with Disabilities in the general Women Agenda.

She also emphasized the fact that Women with Disabilities account for up to 20% of the general women’s population and are thus too large a number to be ignored in any gender development effort.

She concluded by thanking the Honorable Minister of Women Affairs for being inclusive oriented as it concerns Women with Disabilities in her agenda. She further pleaded with her to do more.

The National President, at the close of the event joined a high level table discussion with the visiting Executive Director of the UNAIDS, Ms. Winnie Byanyima, where she repeatedly stressed the need for the UN Women to design an all-inclusive strategy for effective inclusion of women with disabilities in their various programs, especially those on HIV/AIDS.

Present at the Round table were Hon. Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, the First Lady of Ekiti State, ex-minister of Education, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili, amongst other dignitaries.