TQM report,

In an effort to mobilize more support for the ongoing APC registration and membership revalidation exercise, a former Minister of Sports and Special Duties and a Chieftain of APC in Oyo State, Prof Taoheed Adedoja has advised persons with disabilities across the country to go out enmasse for the registration and revalidation exercise of All Progressives Congress (APC) pointing out in a release made available to journalists in Ibadan on Tuesday that ”APC is the Party that truly cares for the welfare and future of persons with disabilities In Nigeria”.

The former Provost of the Federal College of Education, Special, Oyo, reiterated his commitment to the empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in Nigeria in the press statement, by commending APC for the provision in the APC constitution; the opportunity for Persons with Disabilities to contribute to the development of the Party by their representation as members of the executive at the national, state, local government and ward levels and other critical committees of the Party.

With this development, according to Prof Adedoja, “substantial number of Persons with Disabilities are currently actively participating in decision making at all levels thereby making APC the major political Party in Nigeria with such inclusive provision with genuine interest in the overall development of disabled persons in Nigeria”. Prof Adedoja further appealed for the fast tracking of the implementation of the Disability Act that has since been signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari. According to Prof Adedoja “Nigeria can not afford to neglect an important segment of the country’s population numbering about 15% as PWDs themselves have demonstrated the capacity to partner in the socio-economic development of Nigeria, their disabilities not withstanding”.

Prof Adedoja who also doubles as the grand patron of Coalition of Associations for Persons With Disabilities in Nigeria appeals to members of the National Assembly, the Political Class and the Private Sector to consider the education and economic empowerment of Persons with disabilities in Nigeria a top priority as their social responsibility.

The International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP) has partnered with Nigerian National Association of the Deaf (NNAD) headquarters to tackle the endemic problems of human trafficking and smuggling of migrants within the Deaf community in Nigeria.

This news is coming from the NNAD headquarters and was disclosed by the National Vice President, Haruna Tsafe, alongside National Youth Leader, Ebuka Okeke and Association of Sign Language Interpreters of Nigeria (ASLIN) President, Timothy Tinat.

The project officer on prevention and awareness creation for FIIAPP, (a Spanish foundation), Mr. Joseph O. Sanwo stated that the foundation is implementing an EU funded Project known as A-TIPSOM (Action against Trafficking in Person and Smuggling of Migrants) and seeks partnership with NNAD to kick-off the project – knowing fully well that Deaf persons are also victims of human trafficking and smuggling.

He highlighted their activities relating to the project and the need to ensure inclusion of PWDs in achieving the set objectives.

Sanwo went on to list other major actors in the implementation of the project in Nigeria, namely, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, (NAPTIP), The Nigeria Police, Nigeria Immigration Service and Civic Society Organizations.

He explained that the partnership/collaboration will take the form of capacity building workshops comprising National Executive Officers which will later be extended to Zonal levels and State branches to curb the menace of human trafficking and smuggling.

The NNAD representatives thanked FIIAPP for their open door policy and expressed willingness to partner with them for the success of the project – noting that Deaf persons are no exception in the said human trafficking. The project, it was announced, will commence as soon as NNAD headquarters receive feedback from the management of FIIAPP.

TQM report,

Two petitioners have been awarded N10 million each as compensation by the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Restitution and Inquiry set up to investigate cases of police brutality especially involving officers of the now-defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

The two petitioners, Kudirat Obayomi and Hannah Olugbodi were awarded the compensation on Friday.

Olugbodi, a 35-year-old hairdresser, had in November 2020, narrated how she ended up on a crutch after her left leg was shattered by a stray bullet fired by some men of the disbanded police Special Anti-Robbery Squad who were attempting to arrest a young man with tattoos in June 2018 at the Ijeshatedo area of Lagos.

She said the SARS operatives were at one Ogun City Hotel, to demand money to fuel their vehicle when they saw the young man with tattoos among a group of persons watching a football match at the hotel.

According to the petitioner, the owner of the hotel, one Abu, who usually gave the SARS operatives money, was not around to attend to them.

She said the SARS operatives labelled the young man with tattoos a Yahoo Yahoo boy (cyber fraudster).

She said an attempt by the SARS operatives to arrest and take the boy with tattoos away was resisted by the other boys, making the SARS operatives resort to firing gunshots.

Olugbodi said she was at Ijesha market trying to buy pepper to prepare food for her children to take to school the following day when she was hit by a stray bullet.

She said the market women rushed towards her and asked her for her address and the name of her husband, which she managed to give before passing out.

She said she was eventually taken to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital where they said there was no bed space and she was given four bags of intravenous fluid right in the bus.

Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti state, has presented a cash gift of N150,000 to a woman with physical disability, Mrs Bolanle Daniel, to purchase a wheelchair to aid her movement.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Alhaja Maryam Ogunlade, presented the cash gift on behalf of the governor, in her office in Ado-Ekiti.

She reiterated the commitment of the Fayemi-led administration to the general wellbeing of the people of the state, especially the persons with disabilities.

Ogunlade described the establishment of the Office for Disabilities Affairs shortly after the governor was inaugurated for his second term in office as a demonstration of his love for persons with disabilities.

“I urged people with disabilities to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the Women and Youth Skills Acquisition Development Centre in the state to make them self-reliant.

“Gov. Fayemi will continue to empower and encourage people with disabilities,” she added.

The commissioner, however, solicited the continued support of the people with disabilities to government in its efforts at developing the state and improving the lot of the people.

She also stressed the present administration’s open door policy, saying that inclusive governance remained the watchword for the Fayemi-led administration.

Ogunlade advised the people of the state to make good use of the people-friendly policy of the present administration.

She enjoined the beneficiary to use the money for the purchase of a wheelchair to ease her stress.

In her reaction, Daniel, a native of Igbara-Odo in Ekiti South West Local Government area, expressed gratitude to the governor for his kind gesture, praying God to continue to bless him. (NAN)

TQM report,

Kano State Contributory Health Care Management Agency (KACCIMA) has started enrollment of People with Disabilities into the State Volunerable Healthcare Scheme.

The Executive Secretary of KACCIMA, Dr Halima Mijin Yawa made this known while enrolling PWDs on Thursday at the Murtala Muhammad Library.

She said the agencies and Kano State Government is committed to ensuring that PWDs who are enrolled will be to access free healthcare in both public and private hospitals of their choice across the State.

Dr Halima said, the agency will be enrolling PWDs in phases and it will be ongoing untill they are all captured and that the Deaf , Persons with physical Disabilities and persons with albinism are those being enrolled now.

She also explained that, all those who have been enrolled can start accessing the facilities a month after the enrollment and that they can access free healthcare care and she called on them to make best use of the opportunity and continue to prayer for the presentation administration.

TQM report,

The APC National Disability Leader (Caretaker Committee) Mr. James Lalu on Thursday visited Yobe
State for Official flag off Campaign on Sensitisation/Mobilization of APC Disability Stakeholders to come out in mass to register for APC as the First Inclusive party in Nigeria that Consider Persons with Disabilities in Executive Committee and decision making in APC Structure.

The APC Executive Zonal Special leader Northeast Comr Mohammed Abba Isa on behalf of His Excellency The Executive Governor of Yobe State (Caretaker/Chairman APC extraordinary Convention Committee) among other APC disability stakeholders were handy to receive their APC National Disability leader (Caretaker Committee member) and the Executive Secretary of National Commission for Persons with Disabilities Mr. (Hon) Leader James Lalu.

Mohammed Abba Isa told TQM that APC is a disability friendly party because they ensured that National Disability Act was signed into law and late last year, APC government established National Commission for Persons with Disabilities to safeguard the inherent dignity of 31millions Nigerian with different forms of Disabilities. It is based on these and more that I am urging every persons with disabilities to come and register for APC, there is no better time to register than now.

TQM report,

The Executive Secretary, National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Mr James Lalu, on the 16th of February, 2021, on his continuous quest to ensure complete Inclusion and accesibility for Pwds in Nigeria, paid a visit to the Executive Secretary, National Agricultural Research Institute , Prof. Garba Hamidu Sharubutu, to discuss modalities geared towards inclusion of Persons with Disabilities , how they can be carried along in the strategic development plan in the Agricultural Sector.

The Executive Secretary, National Agricultural Research Institute , welcomed the Executive Secretary and his team with delight. He went further to extend his hands of fellowship , promising Inclusion for Persons with Disabilities in all their projects.

TQM report,

As part of efforts to improve the workforce of its public schools, Osun Government has officially released the results of the qualifying examination for candidates seeking employment as teachers in its public schools.

This followed the conduct of a Computer-Based Test for over 27,000 applicants across designated centres in the State.

In a statement released on Monday by the Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mrs Funke Egbemode , after the week’s State’s Executive Council Meeting, the government reported that 11,068 candidates made the cut-off points for basic and post- basic primary schools respectively.

This also included 13 persons with persons with disabilities.

The statement read in part: “Contrary to the faulty statistics that had been in circulation on the social media, the government has released the official result of the qualifying examination for teachers.

“A total of 5,216 candidates made the cut-off mark for post-basic schools, being 40% and above, while a total of 5,852 candidates made the cut-off mark for primary schools, being 35%.

“This brings the total qualified candidates to 11,068 after the first round of the recruitment exercise.

“Those who qualified after this round will proceed to the stage of proficiency interview and micro-teaching in areas of specialisation at a date that will be communicated soon.

“The government has shown generosity and understanding with its benchmark, but will not fail to uphold professionalism and merit in the recruitment process.

“Candidates who make the shortlist after the CBT screening are advised to upscale their preparation for subsequent rounds of interviews and give a good account of themselves to make the merit list.

“The teaching profession is a very crucial one that has a strong implication for the future of a society. Teachers are very important in building a society and securing the future of a nation.” The statement read.