Debola Daniel has taken to social media to express his frustration and anger over how people with disabilities are treated in Nigeria – According to the young man, everyone believes they have the power to heal him – Debola also questioned why anyone would deliberately make God look bad.

Son of the ex-governor of Ogun state Gbenga Daniel, Debola, recently took to social media to share one of the frustrations of being a person with disability in Nigeria. In a post he shared on Twitter, the young man stated that one out of the many frustrations as a person with disability is the fact that everyone believes they have the divine call to heal him.

Speaking further, Debola said that everywhere he goes, people are always commanding him to get up in the name of Jesus, and it becomes weird and awkward when nothing happens and they are just staring at each other.

The handsome lad also questioned why anyone would bring up that kind of situation to make God look bad. “One of the most frustrating things about being disabled in Nigeria, is everyone believes they have a divine call to heal you. Everywhere I go, “I command you to get up in the name of Jesus”. Then that awkward moment of staring at each other. Why you gon make God look bad?”

Nigerians took to the comment section to drop their views and opinions.

@odohton: “If anyone desires to be healed, they will be. I have seen the dead raised long after certified dead.”

@DIKEOLIVER: “Actually, every believer has a divine call to heal the sick, but when the sick doesn’t want to be healed, there is nothing that can be done. The faith must come from both sides.”

@smartdeckk: “When would Nigerians understand that no miracle has ever happened, all are staged.”

@zeezoe13: “Funny thing is that Nigerians pray so much that Nigeria gets worse every day. The prayer isn’t the issue but our desire to want to flaunt supernatural skills in the faces of others.”

TQM report,

Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) had an opportunity to air its position on the the Bill for an Act to provide Legal, Governance, Regulatory and Fiscal Framework for the Nigeria Petroleum Industry, the Development of Host Community and other Related Matters (HB.1061) – AKA PIB Bill.

In a statement signed by the Executive Director of the organization, Mr. David Obinna Anyaele, the group thanked the leadership of the House of Representatives, in particular the Chairman House Ad-hoc Committee on Petroleum Industry Bill for the opportunity to present to them to air their position on the PIB Bill.

The group believes that PIB provide an uncommon opportunity to write the wrongs against persons with disabilities in the Niger Delta

Observation shows that oil and gas explorations in Nigeria are conducted at the detriment of persons with disabilities

They are concerned that virtually all the support given to host communities by reason of oil and gas explorations are not accessible to persons with disabilities and they are not consulted, neither are their issues mainstreamed in the conversation.

The group is worried that when pollution occurs in the Niger Delta, it is people with disabilities that suffers most.

Painfully, the activities and contaminants being pushed into the environment as a result of oil and gas explorations in the Niger Delta region, sometime leads to still birth and birth with different from of disability (hearing disorder, blindness, physical challenged etc.)

Therefore, It is justice for all to demand that the Bill for an Act to provide Legal, Governance, Regulatory and Fiscal Framework for the Nigeria Petroleum Industry, the Development of Host Community and other Related Matters (HB.1061) provide a certain percentage of not less than 5% of projects and activities should therefore be set aside for the benefit of persons with disabilities in the Host Community Development Trust Fund.

CCD proposed the amendment of the following sections in the Bill to read as follows:

242: (a) Settler shall ensure that members of the Board of Trustees are inclusive of women and persons with disabilities

1. (a.i.b) three representatives, women, person with disability inclusive of the Host Community, who shall be nominated by the Host Community as non-executive members.
2. 3(a.i.b) consulted with and considered the reasonable concerns of women, youths, persons with disabilities and Community leaders
3. We request that you add (h) to read as follows: ensure that all initiatives are inclusive and accessible to persons with disabilities.

By Bulus Bala Izang, TQM correspondent, Jos

Miss. Jemya Funturu a sixteen years old girl with physical disability in Mabudi, Langtang south Local government of Plateau state, who’s story was published by The Qualitative Magazine.

A girl who was using Cart as her means of mobility pleaded for a wheelchair or tricycle to enable her to move around.

On Saturday 23rd January, 2021, she was presented with a wheelchair and a Tricycle, donated to her by Chief Ayuba Burki Gufwen of Beautiful Gate Handicapped People Center in response to the published story.

Jemya who could not hide her joy, said her long awaited dream of freedom of movement and integration with people in dignity have now become a reality.

She thank God Almighty and Chief Ayuba Burki Gufwen for making this possible.

Mr. Yakfa Rinpen in his response on behalf of the family, thank Chief Ayuba for his wonderful gesture in the life of Jemya, praying God to bless him and his organization The beautiful Gate.

He equally thank The Qualitative Magazine for giving Jemya the voice to make known her need to the public.

Jemya is still calling on well spirited persons to come to her aid with scholarship so that she could go to Secondary school now that she is mobile, having completed her primary school some years back.

The presentation was made by The Qualitative Magazine’s reporters on behalf of Chief Ayuba Burki Gufwen in Jemya’s compound in Mabudi, Langtang south.
The presentation was made in the presences of her foster parents, and neighbours who were full of gratitude for the show of love and care.

EL-MEELA Heritage Support foundation on Wednesday visited FCT Social For The Deaf, Kuje, Abuja and donated some educational materials such as exercise books and COVID-19 safety items such as hand sanitizers, washing hands buckets and face masks.

The Management of the School appreciated their support and called on other organizations to also reach out to them because they still need more to overcome the challenges associated with COVID-19.

Pictures of the event

TQM report,

Accountability Lab Nigeria on Monday in Abuja built the capacity of young artistes on disability inclusion and inclusion of other marginalized groups.  

It was part of their two-day Voice Inclusion training designed to develop capacity of the young artistes to create mind-blowing music that will promote an inclusive social change.

Agbo Chris Obiora, The Executive Director, The Qualitative Magazine (TQM), a seasoned disability rights advocate took the participants on amplifying disability rights in Nigeria; where the participants were able to understand the concept of disability, the models, sections of Disability against Persons with disabilities Prohibition Act 2018, and ways they can use music to promote inclusion and how their message to be crafted so that it can make impact.

Grace Jerry, the Executive Director of Inclusive Friends Association (IFA), renowned disability advocate especially in access to electoral system,  got the participants to understand disability inclusion more and inclusion of other marginalized groups. She engaged them during her group work to write songs using their understanding about disability inclusion and what they came up with were amazing. She advised them to develop on what they have done, enter to the studio and ensure they release these songs that would promote inclusion.

The two facilitators also took the participants on the use of the right terminologies or international acceptable terminologies for disability and ensure that the content they put out meets international standard.

The facilitators offered to assist in proofreading any of their songs focusing on disability inclusion to ensure that they will meet global standard.  

The participants were elated by knowing about the existence of disability act after two years that it was signed. They stressed on the issue of inadequate awareness creation of the act, they promised to add their voices to the campaign using music and dropping comments about the act on their social media handles.  

The National Commission for Persons With Disability (NCPWD) is to roll out certificates of identification for all persons with disabilities (PWDs).

The Executive Secretary, Mr James Lalu, disclosed this when the Inclusive Friends Association (IFA) paid an advocacy visit on NCPWD in Asokoro, Abuja recently, said the identification certificates would pave the way for seamless intervention programmes of persons with Disabilities in the country.

Mr. Lalu explained that the effort would also help in taking proper census of persons with Disabilities through mobilisation campaigns.

He said that there was need for LGA campaign and mobilisation to ensure that PWDs come out in their numbers to participate in the proposed exercise.

He also identified the concerns of self-denial amongst PWDs, stating that some PWDS were being influenced by their family members not to identify with disability community.

According to him, the data will also assist NCPWD in carrying out their role better, especially around social protection programmes of the government.

The ES lauded the idea of partnership with IFA, based on its track record of successful engagements for PWDs and requested organisation to identify possible areas it intends to work with the commission and communicate same in good time.

In response, the Executive Director of IFA Grace Jerry, appreciated NCPWD for its open-door policy and congratulated the management on their appointment.

Grace said IFA seeks a strong partnership with the commission in the area of training and advocacy, to understand the core mandate of the commission if there is any addition apart from the Discrimination Against Person With Disability Prohibition Act, challenges faced by the commission and what steps and plans the commission has put in place concerning the proposed census planned by the country.