by Chris Agbo,

Centre for Citizen’s with Disabilities (CCD) have called on the government to look into and investigate the increasing incidents of human rights violations against persons with disabilities by airline operators with the view of bringing perpetrators to book in line with the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018.

The Executive Director of CCD, Mr. David Obinna Anyaele in his statement during an advocacy visit with his team to the Minister of Aviation , Hadi Sirika on Tuesday in Abuja advocated for this.

The group urged the Minister to ensure the full implementation of the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 by doing the following:

“To speedily investigate the increasing human rights violations against citizens with disabilities by airline operators in Nigeria with the view of bringing perpetrators to book”.

“Elimination of all forms of violence against citizens with disabilities at the airports through implementation of Section 1:A person with disability shall not be discriminated against on the ground of his disability by any person or institution in any manner or circumstance whatsoever”.

He demanded for the full implementation of Section 14 of the Act which provides as follows:

1) All airlines operating in Nigeria shall ―

(a) ensure the accessibility of their aircraft to persons with disabilities;

(b) make available presentable and functional wheelchairs for the conveyance of persons with disabilities who need it to and from the aircraft;

(c) ensure that persons with disabilities are assisted to get on and off board in safety and reasonable comfort;

(d) ensure that persons with disabilities are accorded priority while boarding and disembarking from the aircraft.

(2) All airports shall make available for the conveyance of persons with disabilities who need it to and from the aircraft, a presentable and functional assistive and protective device.

The group emphasized the need for #Accessible Airports, in line with the provisions of sections 4 and 5 of the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018, in particular mobile wheelchair lifters in all our airports across the Federation for easy access to and from aircraft, as more than 95% of the airports in Nigeria are not accessible to persons with disabilities.

The group also urge the minister to implement section 28 and 29 of the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) 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 persons with disabilities constituting at least 5% of their employment.

“We are requesting that you use your influence to ensure that an audit of your Ministry Staff strength is conducted to ensure that 5% of the Staff capacity of your Ministry is reserved for citizens with disabilities” they added.

They offered to partner with the Federal Ministry of Aviation to build the capacity of Senior Ministry officials on the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018. This is to enhance the full implementation of the Act and service delivery of the Ministry on persons with disabilities.

The minister in his response, promised to prioritize the full implementation of the Act and directed the Permanent Secretary to immediately carry out a staff audit to check infractions in employment to reflect the 5% staff capacity in line with the act.

Watch the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika response:

Northeast All Progressives Congress (APC) Disability caucus led by Mohammed Abba Isa have registered their profound gratitude and unreserved appreciation to the master of inclusion, the architect of modern Yobe State HE Mai Mala Buni the Executive Governor of Yobe state and Chairman caretaker/convention planning Committee Committee of APC who was ably represented at the this event by Hon Alh Aji Yerima Bularafa, the Special Adviser on Political and legislative Matters ManTerab of Gujba as Special Guest of Honour, The Hon.Mr.James David Lalu, the Executive Secretary National Commission for Persons with Disabilities/APC National Disable leader, APC state Chairman, APC sensitization and mobilizing Committee, The Chairman Yobe State APC Registration/Revalidation Committee, The Executive Director Network of Yobe Civil Society Organisations,The Chairman NECAS,The ES SPHC, GM YAROTA, Media Organisations and Security who make in one way or the other the event successful.

In a press statement signed by Comr. Mohammed Abba Isa, the APC Zonal Special leader Northeast, the Caucus appreciated their support both in cash and kind considering the impact.

“The struggle has just began as such we will continue counting on your leadership and support to take our people to the greater height” he said.

“All Progressive Congress has filled the gap that existence for decades of our democracy and it has also created a viable platforms for collective and individual successes with little or no hardship we therefore, appreciate your mentorship and sincere determination for all inclusive Nigeria where persons with Disabilities are equal before systems and practices” he added.

“The passion and love shown by the managers of our party specifically HE Mai Mala buni the Executive Governor of Yobe Sate and Hon. James Lalu our National Disable leader will remain historic in the political history of our country as such we eternally remain grateful” he praised.

The group promised not take presence and support of the APC Disability Leader for granted and they would be determined to make the changes glaring during the exercise and after with out data strength which will ultimately translate to victory of our party come 2023.

TQM reports,

The West African Examination Council has released the 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results for private candidates.

Announcing the release at the WAEC National Headquarters, Yaba Lagos, Head, the Nigeria National Office Of The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) Patrick Areghan, said that a total number 61,509 candidates sat for the exam while 31,751 candidates obtained credit and above in a minimum of five subjects.

In his words, “the examination was simultaneously and successfully conducted throughout the five-member countries of WAEC – Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, using one and the same international timetable.

The conduct of the examination took place between Monday, November 23rd, 2020, and Tuesday, December 22nd, 2020. Coordination of examiners and marking of candidates’ scripts were carried out 10 selected marking venues across the country in the month of January. A total of 3,234 examiners participated in the coordination and marking exercise.

Areghan said the WASSCE for private candidates, 2020 second series was successfully conducted under strict COVID-19 protocols.

“We are happy to report that throughout the conduct of the examination, there was no reported case of any candidate, invigilator, supervisor, WAEC staff or any examination functionary, for that matter, going down with the dreaded Coronavirus disease,” Areghan said.

“A total of Sixty Six Thousand, Three Hundred and Seventy Five (66,375) Candidates (representing a 31.63% decline, when compared with the 2019 entry figure) entered for the examination, while Sixty One Thousand, Five Hundred and Nine (61,509) candidates actually sat the examination at Five Hundred and Forty (540) centres spread across the nooks and crannies of the country. The drop in the entry figure could be attributed to the negative impact of the COVID –19 pandemic.

“A total of One Hundred and One (101) candidates with varying degrees of persons with disabilities were registered for the examination. Out of this number, Thirty Nine (39) blind, Fifteen (15) Deaf Ten (10) Persons with Albinism; One (1) person with intellectual disability, and Thirty Six (36) Persons with physically disabilities. All these candidates with disabilities were adequately provided for in the administration of the examination. The results of these candidates have also been processed and released along with those of other candidates.

“Of the total number of Sixty One Thousand, Five Hundred and Nine (61,509) candidates that sat the examination, Thirty Thousand, Five Hundred and Seven (30,507) were males while Thirty One Thousand and Two (31,002) were females, representing 49.60% and 50.40%, respectively.

“Out of the total number of candidates that sat the examination, Sixty One Thousand, One Hundred and Eleven (61,111) candidates, representing 99.35% have their results fully processed and released while Three Hundred and Ninety Eight (398) candidates, representing 0.65% have a few of their subjects still being processed due to some errors on the part of the candidates. Efforts are, however, being made to speedily complete the processing to enable all the affected candidates get their results fully processed and released, subsequently.

“The analysis of the statistics of the performance of candidates shows that out of the Sixty One Thousand, Five Hundred and Nine (61,509) candidates that sat the examination, Thirty One Thousand, Seven Hundred and Fifty One (31,751) candidates representing 51.62% obtained credit and above in a minimum of five (5) subjects (with or without English Language and/or Mathematics; out of which Fifteen Thousand, Three Hundred and Seventy Six (15,376) were males and Sixteen Thousand, Three Hundred and Seventy Five (16,375) were females, representing 48.43 % and 51.57%, respectively; Twenty Four Thousand Four Hundred and Ninety One (24,491) candidates representing 39.82% obtained credit and above in a minimum of five (5) subjects including English Language and Mathematics.

“Of this number, Twelve Thousand, and Forty (12,040) i. e. 49.16% were male candidates, while Twelve Thousand, Four Hundred and Fifty One (12,451) i.e. 50.84% were female candidates. The percentage of candidates in this category in the WASSCE for Private Candidates, 2018 and 2019, that is, those who obtained credit and above in a minimum of five (5) subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, were 35.99% and 35.10% respectively. Thus, there is a marginal increase of 4.72% in performance in this regard.

“The results of Five Thousand, Five Hundred and Forty-Eight (5,548) candidates, representing 9.02% of the total number of candidates that sat the examination, are being withheld in connection with various reported cases of examination malpractice. The cases are being investigated and reports of the investigations will be presented to the appropriate Committee of the Council for determination in due course. The Committee’s decisions will be communicated directly to the affected candidates thereafter.

“Candidates who sat the examination are now free to check the details of their performance on the Council’s results website: www.waecdirect.org. The Result Checker PIN and Serial Number needed by candidates to check their results online are contained on the candidate’s Smart Identity Card used during the conduct of the examination.

“Candidates that collection of certificates for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for Private Candidates would be based on requests online, via the Electronic Certificate Management System platform. Details of the simple procedures have been made available to the public in earlier paid adverts.”

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;

By Abdulganiyu Alabi, Kaduna

by Chris Agbo,

Disability Rights Advocacy Center (DRAC) on Thursday in Abuja organized a stakeholders’ meeting on disability-inclusive child protection and safeguarding policy in the FCT.

The activity is part of DRAC’s Policy to Practice project aimed at improving access to justice for women and girls with disabilities in Nigeria, supported by the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Program of the British Council, funded by the European Union.

The Associate Director, DRAC, Mrs. Olanike Akinbola on behalf of DRAC’s Executive Director, Dr. Irene Ojiugo Patrick-Ogbogu in her welcome remarks welcomed the participants who found time to be part of the meeting. She said that the meeting is a continuation of DRAC’s effort on the review of Child Protection Policy in the FCT, looking at how the project has gone and chat a way forward to achieving the set objectives of the project.

According to Idris Agboluaje, a program officer at DRAC, the meeting came about as a result of DRAC’s efforts towards protecting and safeguarding children with disabilities and vulnerable adults in the FCT whom research has shown to experience different forms of violence at home, in the community and in their learning environment. Therefore, this meeting was organized to extract recommendations from the stakeholders for a possible review of the 2014 FCT Child Protection Policy.

Mr. Aisuedion Abel, Director, Special needs Education, Federal Ministry of Education, in his goodwill message, emphasized the need for stakeholders to mainstream disability in their plans for the education sector, as education is a right of every child irrespective of their disability status. He further stated that it is pertinent to put a process in place for the protection and safeguarding of children with disabilities within schools and that is why the Ministry deemed it necessary to be part of the meeting and join hands with other stakeholders to identify the gaps and make recommendations to enhance the process of reviewing the child protection policy for the FCT.

He concluded by thanking DRAC for the initiative and stepping up to the task as government cannot do it alone and government encourages this kind of partnership.

Mrs. Bilkisu Hamja, Head of Special Needs and Gender, FCT UBEB, in her goodwill message, thanked DRAC for what they have been doing to ensure that children especially children with disabilities are protected in the schools around the FCT. She said DRAC understands that government cannot do it alone and there are many policies of the government that either are not being implemented or need to be reviewed and that is why DRAC found it necessary to partner with FCT Administration to kick-start a process of reviewing the current FCT child protection policy and also enhance the modalities of implementing the policy. She assured that FCT UBEB would be supportive both in the review of the policy and its implementation.

Hadiza Ingawa, Head of Gender Unit, FCT Education Secretariat, in her goodwill message said that protection of children especially children with disabilities is very important and is a duty of all stakeholders. She urged participants to be cooperative towards achieving the objectives of the meeting. She further stated that in protecting children with disabilities, FCT schools need to be made disability-inclusive. She appreciated DRAC for the initiative.

Olorunfemi Olusegun, Coordinator, Child Protection Network, FCT Chapter, in his goodwill message said that as a network of civil society groups working on child protection, they have a mandate of ensuring that the right of a child within the FCT is protected irrespective of the status of the child. He urged all stakeholders to make inputs in the policy being reviewed so that at the end, the purpose of the gathering would be achieved.

Noel Balogun, a program officer at DRAC presented the research report carried out by DRAC, the Situation Analysis / Needs Assessment of Children with Disabilities and Child Protection in the FCT which was done to ascertain the level of violence and abuses suffered by the children especially children with disabilities, their access to social services, the demand for social services by communities for children with disabilities, perpetrators of the violence and abuses against them to make recommendations for disability-inclusive child protection and safeguarding mechanisms in the FCT.

The provisions of the FCT Child Protection Policy were presented Mrs. Rashida Apahade, an expert in child protection and safeguarding. She gave a background history of the policy and emphasized on the fact that the policy is due for two reviews since its development in 2014. She educated participants on the provisions of the policy which she stated is domiciled at FCT Social Development Secretariat and is binding on all schools and other places were children stay within FCT. Participants thereafter according to their areas of expertise, thematically scrutinized all sections of the policy and provided recommendations to be utilized in the final review.

The stakeholders’ meeting was well attended by relevant stakeholders such as the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, FCT Secondary Education Board, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the National Human Rights Commission, teachers, students, OPDs, etc.

SOME PICTURES OF THE MEETING

TQM report,

Over 9000 persons have benefitted from the Cuppy Foundation founded by International DJ and producer Florence ‘Cuppy’ Otedola. The fundraising organisation focused on tackling issues surrounding child protection, education for girls and persons with disabilities is poised to alleviate the sufferings of many in the society.

The Foundation carries its work out through its support with partner organisations and charities including Save the Children U.K, Save the Children International – Nigeria, Angel for life foundation, The Kaffy Foundation and The Kupe Foundation.

In line with her high standards on accountability and transparency, the Cuppy foundation has released her annual report showing a breakdown of activities from 2019 – 2020 ensuring full accountability to all stakeholders, partners, and the public.

In partnership with its beneficiary organisations, a 10-year implementation plan has been put in place to guide the over N5billion raised at the Cuppy Gold Gala, which premiered in November 2019 in Abuja, Nigeria.

This plan covers key states in Nigeria and is focused on the foundation’s thematic areas. From 2019 over 9000 unique persons have been reached via various programmes including malnutrition, personal and community hygiene education, child protection, gender and sexual based violence and COVID-19.

Among the activities of the foundation is the donation of 50 million worth of Personal Protective Equipments (PPE) and Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) materials through Save the children Nigeria, to support the COVID-19 response action plans of Lagos state and the FTC, in May 2020.

In Katsina, 295 people were trained on infant and young child feeding while 1421 children (712 males and 709 females) were screened for malnutrition. In Borno, two outpatient therapeutic centres were refurbished to carry out life saving intervention for children between six to 59 months with severe malnutrition. Also, 12 persons with disability were successfully sponsored through higher education via Issac Olushola Foundation.