Nigeria Association of the Blind FCT Chapter On 20th October, 2020 in Abuja led by their Chairman, Obinna Ekujereonye marched to create awareness among motorists on what white cane is about about and the need for them to recognized and respect someone with white cane. It is part of their activities to mark World White Cane Day which is being celebrated every 15th of October.
SEE THE VIDEO OF THE RALLY HERE:
Paul Dauda popularly known as PASTOR is a young man with physical disability from Barkin Ladi local government of Plateau state who had disability as result of polio.
He is a shoe and slippers maker and married with three boys.
In this interview with our correspondents, Bulus Bala Izang and Joshua Yenle, he shared us how well his shoe making business has done and the challenges he is facing.
TQM: Did you have the opportunity of having formal education?
No, I did not have that privilege because my parents thought that as a child with disability, l will amount to nothing in life, even at some point in my life, l thought along that path too. As such, l was not sent to school or even to learn any form of vocation.
TQM: what do you do for a living to feed your family?
I make male and female’s palm shoes for sale.
TQM: You said that your parents did not also expose you to any vocation, how then did you learn how to make shoes, and for how long have you been in the business?
When l was growing up, something in me was searching for meaning of life for me, a life without formal education and skill.
I knew, if l am to have a life worth living, l need to equip myself with vocational skill. So l went and met someone that is making palm shoes, l indicated interest in the vocation and he agreed to train me. I spent three years with him learning. After graduation, l opened my own shoe making business.
Today, l can boost of about twenty-four apprentices who under my tutelage as I speak with you, apart from those that have graduated.
From the business, I married, taking care of my family, paying my house rent, paying my children school fees and other things. This is my thirteen years in the business.
Even my parents who thought that l would be useless in life. Today, l am not only useful to myself, but also useful to the society, my parents and numerous young Nigerians who are learning from me.
To God be the glory.
TQM: What are some of the challenges you are facing in this business?
The biggest challenge is lack funds to expand, my workshop is very small, so small that when it rains we do not have space in the shop for shelter.
Secondly, with twenty-four apprentices, we use a lot of learning materials. Sadly, l don’t have enough money to buy all the needed materials for the practice.
TQM. Have you ever received any form of financial or material assistance from the government or other organization to expand your business?
No, the only assistance l have ever received is food palliative assistance from Chief Ayuba Burki Gufwan of Beautiful Gate Handicapped People Center.
TQM. How many of your children are in school?
Two of them are in school, one is yet to start.
TQM. Thank you for sharing your time with us.
I thank you people for coming, God bless you.
The Executive Director of The Qualitative Magazine (TQM) wish to commiserate with the former National President of Joint National Assooiation of Persons with disabillities ( JONAPWD) Barrister Danlami Basharu on the demise of his mother.
In a press release signed by Executive Director, TQM Mr. Agbo Christian Obiora, he said that the entire management and staff of TQM commiserate with the great leader in the disability in Nigeria, Africa and World at large for his lost and ask God to give him the fortitude to bear the lost.
“We pray that God almighty grant Mama eternal rest in Jesus name”, he concluded.
TQM report,
The Executive Secretary, National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) Hon. James D. Lalu on behalf of himself and the Commission have expressed his heartfelt condolences to the former JONAPWD National President and current Chairperson of the United Nation Committee on the Right of persons with Disabilities, Barrister Danlami Basharu on the dead of his mother.
In a press release signed by the Chief Press Secretary of National Commission of Persons with disabillities, Dooshima Pius-Ikerave, he said that they are pained that Mama have physically gone but are comforted that her good legacies and pleasant memories will remain unforgettable in their hearts.
The Commission also extend its condolence and sympathy to the government and people of Taraba State for this irreplaceable lost.
“While the dead of Mama is painful to all family members, especially to our own Barr. Basharu, we urge them all to take this as the will of Almighty Allah, and to also take solace in the good ways Mama brought the family members up and how she positively impacted her immediate community. We pray that Almighty Allah comfort the family and make Aljannah the final abode of the deceased” they prayed.
Says shortfall in education cummulative effect of past neglect
Provost, Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo, Prof. Kamoru Usman, has urged stakeholders to give priority to learners with special needs, to boost their potentialities for quality living and socio-economic development.
Prof. Usman, in an interview with journalists in Oyo, also noted that the present challenges in the sector are a cummulative effect of neglect of the past.
While making a case for persons with special needs, the Provost said it takes three times the cost of training someone without physical disabilities to train these set of people.
He said: “Persons with special needs require assistance to go about. In the past, when you have someone with disabilities, you would just go and hid him or her. We don’t have enough schools for those with special needs. We have 21 federal colleges of education in Nigeria, eight are technical, 12 are conventional while one is special and they treat us alike.
“Government should improve facilities for the disabled, as anybody can be in special need anytime, arising from unforeseen circumstances.
“To me, we are not doing badly really. This is because when some of our products leave this soil, they usually perform wonders. That is to say our education sector is still doing fine. The only thing I am personally opposed to is failure to give room to those who are ready to excel to prove their potential. There should be special funds for scholarship to encourage those who are endowed with special talents,” Usman added.
On the nation’s education policy, the provost said implementation remains the greatest challenge.
He appealed to the government to fund special education and encourage children with special needs.
“I don’t pray that everybody should be affected, but our leaders need to wake up. Any disease can cause disability, is it until then that government would start working on the facilities? No, we need to wake up and pay greater attention to special education. Sadly, the society still sees people with special needs as objects of pity, this is very wrong. Special needs people are highly intelligent; given equal opportunity, they would excel.
He also appealed to the government to upgrade the college to a university of education.
The provost lamented that most their products are not fit for a regular university for further study.
He disclosed that “school has an average of 5,000 students, out of which about 2,000 are with disabilities.
The Rotary Club of Naraguta, District 9125, on Saturday donated some wheelchairs to Polio survivors in Jos, Plateau.
The club donated the chairs during the investiture ceremony of its 36th President, Mr Lamina Adesoji.
Presenting the chairs to 10 beneficiaries, the Assistant Governor of the club, Ms Eno Akpan, urged the beneficiaries to use the wheelchairs to aid their mobility in their various endeavours.
She said the wheelchairs should not be used for begging or resold by the beneficiaries, saying Rotary is committed to improving their well being.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Rotary Organisation was instrumental in the campaign against Polio and the certification of Nigeria as Polio free on June, 2020.
Also speaking at the occasion, the new president of the club, Adesoji, said that the donation is part of Rotary’s frequent contribution to humanitarian service.
He said that so far under his watch, which started on July, 2020, the club has donated a water project to the Vocational School of the Blind in Zawan to ease their hardship in accessing potable water.
He said the school community which was majorly populated by vision-impaired persons suffered hardship especially during the dry season because it had a dysfunctional borehole.
NAN reports that the project included the installation of an overhead tank and a generator to power the borehole during power outage.
“There are still more project we are planning to do.
“Sometimes, we send people to school to help them finish their education and do medical Interventions, depending on members’ contributions,” he said.
He said he is proud to be a Rotarian because he has always desired to contribute to humanity, urging the public to join the club to augment government’s efforts, help the vulnerable groups and the indigents in the society.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mr Tasiu Ibrahim appreciated the club for their kind gesture, saying the wheelchairs will assist them in going to places where they earn their livelihood.
Ibrahim, a vulcanizer, also prayed for more resources for the club to enable them donate tricycles for them to use for transportation business.
NAN also reports that the club presented awards to five personalities who have supported the club and distinguished themselves in their various careers and contributed much to community services.
The awards were presented to the Deputy Governor of Plateau, Prof Sonni Tyoden, Prof. Samuel Aje, the Vice Chancellor of Achievers University in Ibadan.
Other recipients were Dr Abel Aigege and Mr Alheri David both from the Carter Center in Jos.
Poliomyelitis (often simply called polio) is an acute viral infection that involves the gastrointestinal tract and occasionally the central nervous system.
NAN
TQM report
The Jigawa state government has distributed 7,000 packages of COVID-19 palliatives to no fewer than 1,500 Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
Mr Muhammad Usman, Chairman of the state Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities (JONAPWD), disclosed this to newsmen in Dutse on Saturday.
The items were part of the 94 trucks of 49,941 packages containing varieties of food donated to Jigawa by the Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID).
Usman said the items would be distributed to PWDs across the 27 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.
He listed the items donated as 1,500 packets of 5kg sugar, 1,500 bags of 10kg rice, 1,000 bags of 5kg white maize grills, 1,500 cartons of spaghetti and 1,500 cartons of noodles.
The chairman added that the items would be distributed among the Deaf persons, visually impaired persons, persons affected with leprosy as well as the persons with physical disabilities.
He stated that the assistance came at the right time for PWDs in the state due to their vulnerability during the lockdown period.
Usman, who commended the CACOVID and the state government for the gesture, pledged fair distribution of the items.
He also urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the items in order to ameliorate the unbearable socio-economic hardship brought by COVID-19 pandemic.
Recall that Jigawa commenced the distribution of CACOVID palliative to 42,312 households across the 27 LGAs of the state on Sept. 15.
The items were expected to be shared among the indigents in the 3,526 polling units of the state.
Twelve households, consisting of nine men and three widows with orphaned children, were also expected to benefit from each of the polling units.
No political appointees, civil servants or salary earners were allowed to benefit from the items.
Kanang Gyang is a blind woman from Barkin-Ladi local government of Plateau state who became blind as a result of glaucoma.
This single lady had little of formal education. She attended School for the Blind Children in Gindiri, Plateau state, before she proceeded to Vocational Training in beads making in Lagos, where she learnt how to make several products like necklace, earrings, flowercase, purses, bags etc using beads.
After completing the training, she came back to Plateau and start putting in practice what she learnt and making a living out of it.
In this interview with Joshua Yenle and Bulus Bala Izang our correspondents in Jos, she discussed her challenges in her chosen vocation.
TQM: You came back to Plateau after your training in Lagos, what are you doing now on the Plateau to earn a living?
I am doing what I know how to do best, that is producing things using beads, even though here in Barkin-ladi, the market for these products is not much, but l still makes a little.
TQM: What do you think is responsible for this low demand for these products?
Price is the problem, especially now that the cost of living is very high and there is little or no money, people are using their money to buy food items.
They consider what l sell as luxury and the few people that want to buy, want it at a very low price even with the high cost of production. Selling below the cost of production will only push me out of the business.
I am considering changing business from beads making to selling food items. What is stopping me now is lack of capital to start the business.
TQM: Have you ever received any financial assistance to expand your business either from the government or other organization?
I have not, but l will like to receive such assistance, especially now that l am considering a new line of business.
TQM: What kind of assistance would you like?
I need capital or materials to expand my business and to engage in a new one.
TQM: Thank you for sharing your story with us, we wish you the best in life.
By Chidinma Uchechukwumgemezu
A trader, Mustapha Halilu, on Wednesday appeared in a Wuse Zone 6 Magistrates’ Court in Abuja for allegedly stealing property worth N2.2 million from a man with physical disability.
The police charged Halilu, whose address was not provided with criminal trespass, criminal conspiracy, mischief and theft.
The Prosecution Counsel, ASP Peter Ejike, told the court that the complainant, Abdul Ibrahim, reported the matter through a written petition to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police Zone 7, on Sept.17.
Ejike said that the defendant and others now at large, broke into the residence of Ibrahim and stole property worth at N2.2 million.
He alleged that the defendant, in a criminal and mischievous manner, burgled the home of the complainant because he is person with physical disability and could not defend his property.
The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of sections 342, 96, 327 and 287 of the Penal Code.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Magistrate Omolola Akindele admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N500, 000 with two sureties in like sum.
Akindele ordered that the sureties must reside within the jurisdiction of the court.
She also ordered that the sureties must deposit a recent passport photograph and a valid means of identification, which must be verified by the court registrar.
Akindele adjourned the matter until Nov.25 for hearing.
Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal Wednesday swore-in new three Commissioners at the Council Chamber of Government House, Sokoto.
Also sworn-in were two Special Advisers and two Directors-General.
Those sworn-in as commissioners include: Alh. Muhammad Mainasara Ahmed (Mni), Comrade Bashir Gorau and Maikudi Abubakar Ahmed, while Abubakar Shekara and Abdul’aziz Ibrahim were sworn-in as Special Advisers Public Affairs and Disabled Affairs respectively. In the same vein, Dr. Hafsat Buhari Galadima and Dr. Muhammad Bashir Mustapha were sworn-in as Directors-General in the State Civil Service.
Speaking at the ceremony, Governor Tambuwal charged the appointees to exhibit higher sense of responsibility and matured conduct in the discharge of their duties, particularly in their public appearance, comments and engagement of members of the public as well as in the handling of public trust.
While congratulating the new appointees, the governor charged them to marshal all their experiencies, knowledge and expertise in the conduct of their new assignment.
The Governor appealed to people of Sokoto state to continue to show understanding to the state government and even the federal government, saying that Nigeria is passing through a very challenging time and thus in need of the prayers and support of every citizen.
He said as leaders they should continue to have listening ears of the people so as to be able to handle issues bedevilling them, stressing that if they can continue listening to the people they are leading, this would enable them to minimize mistakes.
He charged all appointees of the government and the leaders both religious and political to be responsive to the yearnings and aspirations of the people.
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The Qualitative Magazine is the foremost Disability advocacy magazine in Nigeria. It is an educative, empowerment and informative disability advocacy magazine championed by persons with disabilities. Its advent is borne out of the necessity to fill the void left by the media to give the persons with disabilities and other less privileged persons a voice. It is designed to advocate for their rights and privileges of Persons With Disabilities in Nigeria and Africa and also to consciously push across, through advocacy those barriers and stereotypes within society that tend to limit people with disabilities(PWDs) and stifle their inherent potentials including enlightenment campaigns on the causes of disability such as POLIO, ACCIDENTS, WARS, RELIGIOUS CRISIS etc. This social entrepreneurship media outfit was conceived due to the stigmatization and discrimination faced by people with disabilities in Nigeria and Africa. It is an advocacy tool or public enlightenment campaign platform to change the mindset of the public about disability because if the public understand the situation, Disability Inclusion will improve and Persons With Disabilities will be able to participate in social, economic and political activities.
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