Disability
Rights Advocacy Center (DRAC) on 9th and 10th of July,
2020 organized a two day training of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities
(OPDs) on Human Rights Laws in Nigeria.
The
activity is part of DRAC’s policy-to-practice project (P2P) supported by the
ROLAC program of the British Council and European Union to improve access to
justice of women and girls with disabilities.
The
Executive Director DRAC, Dr Irene Ojiugo Patrick-Ogbogu in her opening remarks
reminded the participants that COVID-19 is real and they should at all times
observe all the safety/precautionary measures as advised by Nigerian Center for
Disease Control (NCDC).
Speaking
further, she said that the meeting is to get leaders of disability community to
look at some human rights laws in Nigeria with disability lens to review how the
provisions are applicable to persons with disabilities. The human rights instruments
included Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act
2018, Child Rights Act (CRA) 2003 and Violence against Persons Prohibition Act
2015 (VAPPA). It is important for persons with disabilities to understand these
laws and to know when their rights and that of people around them are being
violated.
She
reaffirmed that though the project is specifically designed to improve access
to justice for women and girls with disabilities, the success of the project would
equally be of great benefits to men with disabilities.
The
project geared towards access to justice of women and girls with disabilities would
be achieved through the following steps, knowing your rights, knowing when your
rights are being violated and knowing where to report and how to report when
your rights are violated.
She
concluded by urging the participants to apply the new knowledge to their
project programming in their various clusters, reminding them that they were
particularly invited to participate at the meeting because of the leadership
positions they hold at their various clusters and admonished them to ensure
that they step down the knowledge acquired to their members so that the desired
changes would be seen and felt by all.
The sessions for the two-day training were interactive and engaging. During the two days, the participants learnt a lot from the facilitators – Uzoma Aneto a seasoned lawyer and Sexual Gender Based Violence advocate, who took them through the Nigerian Child Rights Act. Mr. Lawrence Idemudia, a Disability Rights Advocate and President of Center for Deaf Inclusion (CDI) took the participants through the provisions of United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Mr. Ikem Uchegbulam, an experienced lawyer and the Vice Chairman JONAPWD FCT who made a presentation on the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 and Amaka Agwu a Program Officer at DRAC who x-rayed the Violence against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPPA) 2015 to the understanding of all participants. The meeting was participatory and interactive in delivery and participants were given group work at the end of each session.
Participants
through group work proffered some actions that need to be taken to improve
access to justice for children and women with disabilities. They include: Organizations
of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) should intensify human rights awareness by
engaging government officers saddled with enforcement responsibilities, justice
service providers and other relevant stakeholders; more sensitization programs
should be organized of OPDs in urban and rural areas for PWDs to sensitive the
society on the human rights laws, and how to demand for justice when human
rights are violated; and to get the public to increase the rate at which they
report cases of violation especially child rights related violations.
The
participants were elated by the quality of the training which they observed was
timely because of the current prevalence of child abuse and violation in
Nigeria, and the high rate at which the rights of persons with disabilities
especially women and girls with disabilities are being violated with little or
nothing being done by justice service providers to address them.
At
the end of the meeting participants were presented with DRAC’s simplified
versions and accessible copies of Disability Act, VAPP Act and Child Rights Act.
Blind students from the Bethesda School for the Blind in Lagos, Nigeria went viral with their cover of Midnight Train by popular Kenyan band Sauti Sol on Saturday, July 12.The song is part of the 13-track album by the same name released by the afro-pop group in June.The students’ live rendition of Midnight Train saw them don black suits as they sang and performed a dance routine, with a talented band backing them up.The video quickly gained traction and left many impressed and overwhelmed, among them Sauti Sol.
“We want to come to hang with you guys. Super inspired by this video,” Sauti Sol tweeted.The students had appealed for help sharing the video to make sure the four-man group saw it, and couldn’t hide their delight following the response.
In a conversation with Kenyans.co.ke, a representative for the students revealed that they chose Midnight Train as they wanted to spread joy during the Covid-19 period.”We chose Midnight Train because it is an amazing song and we’re big fans of Sauti Sol.
During this period, we wanted to share happiness and love to everyone through this song,” they noted.Sauti Sol, who signed with Universal Music Group (UMG) division UMG Africa, have managed to build up an audience across the continent with West Africa, and Nigeria in particular, no exception.
Their previous album, Afrikan Sauce, included collaborations with several popular Nigerian artists, a move credited with helping the group gain a foothold in the Nigerian market.Among Nigerian artistes the group has worked with in the past are Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, Yemi Alade and KCee.
They have also performed in Nigeria on several occasions.Bethesda School for the Blind is part of the Bethesda Schools and Homes, an NGO which seeks to provide a haven for children and people living with disabilities.”Our NGO caters for visually impaired individuals in society. The home/school is free of charge. We train our students from primary to university until they are self-sufficient.”We have currently 126 at our school. We train our students in music, craft, and Braille,” they informed Kenyans.co.ke.Its program encompasses three main aspects; education, sports and skills acquisition.Qualified special teachers provide both formal and informal education, while sports activities including blind football, guide running and handball are used to enhance fitness and promote physical well-being.They are also provided with various musical instruments and taught to use them, among them a saxophone, keyboard, drums and more.
Watch their cover below:
Midnight Train by Bethesda home for the Blind. @sautisol. We made this song to share happiness and love. To watch the full video, go to our YouTube channel: https://t.co/6zN7JMxwzD… Please retweet this video as much as possible till @sautisol sees it. pic.twitter.com/IF9tlnncW5
— Bethesda Home/School for the blind (@Bethesda_home) July 11, 2020
The Chairman of Bakassi Council, Mr. Iyadim Amboni Iyadim has assured indigenes with disabilities of the area that his administration will be open to all and sundry with a view to create a sense of belonging.
Speaking while receiving members of the Nigerian Association for the Blind (NAB), Cross River State Chapter, led by its Secretary, Mr. Esuk Etim Okon, during a courtesy call in his office at weekend, Iyadim disclosed that his administration, when fully constituted, will incorporate disabled persons into the scheme of things.
Iyadim said: “There is ability in disability, and I intend to work with you because some of you have the capacity to render valuable services to the society in spite of your physical condition.”
He added that the council would organise training programmes in various arts and crafts as well as open a desk office in the area to address their needs
Earlier, the Secretary of the association, said the visit was to acquaint the council of their contributions and appealed that they be carried along in its programmes, noting that the vulnerable and people living with disability could be co-opted into the council’s developmental programmes as many of them possessed skills that can add value to the council.
They also complained that they had been ignored in designing interventions regarding issues that affect them the most.
Women with disabilities across Nigeria have lamented their exclusion from intervention programmes by governments meant to cushion the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The women, who spoke in a virtual meeting organized by BONews Service with support from Urgent Action Fund-Africa, said the government had neglected them.
They also complained that they had been ignored in designing interventions regarding issues that affect them the most.
Egwu Stella Udoka, who hailed from Ebonyi State, said Governor Dave Umahi gave N1m to PWDs across the state during the lockdown, adding that each person only got N1,500. File PhotoTracey Adams/African News Agency(ANA).
She added that most people couldn’t go to the distribution point to collect the money as there was lockdown in the state, adding that the cost of transportation was more than the N1,500 the government was distributing.
She said, “Also, because of our disabilities, we couldn’t move independently and it is an extra cost to go with an aide because we want to collect N1,500.
“If persons with disabilities were included in the planning stage, the governor would have known that N1m might sound huge but it can’t cater to the needs of the disabled people in the state.”
Bilikisu Ado Zango, a citizen of Kano State, said palliatives distribution in the state didn’t reach those at the grassroots.
She called for disability inclusion at all levels, adding that sidelining women with disabilities at various levels of governments makes their lives difficult.
Similarly, Ibitoye Helen, who lives in Ekiti state, said the government excluded women with disabilities from the distribution of relief packages in the state but went on-air to announce people with disabilities were taken care of.
She, however, noted that the government was forced, after public outcry, to make provisions for persons with disabilities in the distribution of palliatives.
“When Governor Fayemi started the distribution of the palliative, we (women with disabilities) didn’t get anything, even when the government officials were announcing that they had been sharing it with persons with disabilities across the state.
“It was when the state secretary of JONAPWD complained on social media that we were called to come and get our share,” Helen said.
Star Children Development Initiative in collaboration with Humanity & Arts project and other amazing partners brought together timbers and calibers in disability community to developed a fully message packaged COVID-19 jingle.
It was put together to lend their voices towards global effort to win the war against COVID-19″pandemic.
The organization expressed gratitude to prominent disability advocates who participated in the war against COVID-19 pandemic video.
Raheem Yusuf Olatunji, Executive Director, Humanity and Arts Project on the release of the video to the public has this to say “As efforts around the fight against Coronavirus pandemic require conscious and deliberate approaches to win the war against its prevention, spread and cure; People With Disabilities join global community to lend their voices. Please watch Sensitization Video by Some prominent leaders in the disability Community. Together we can stop Coronavirus pandemic.”
The Director National Orientation Agency NOA Mrs. Sarah Yapkwa, has said they have directed by the National Director Mr Garba Abare, to embarked on massive sensitization campaign in rural areas in Gombe state.
Mrs Sarah Yapkwa, who did not relent in their effort to carry out public enlightenment due to recent announcement by the government to
suspend lock down where people more freely without taking measure against the virus.
She said the enlightenment exercise will take effect on Friday where the agency will go round the communities and enlighten them about the danger of the disease by encouraging them to wear face mask, and to key into washing their hands with soap and water which will
reduced the spread of the pandemic. She added that the reopening of market, worship places and motor parks has contributed in the spread of the virus
Mrs Yapkwa, who called on the people more especially on the rural areas to stick to the advice made by the government in protecting themselves from Covid 19,
She further explain that the agency will not hesitate to embarked on sensitization on communities to ensure that the people complied with the advice made by the government in order not to contact with the virus.
The National Orientation Agency, NOA, in Gombe State, says the agency is collaborating with groups, associations and Nongovernmental organizations in their campaign for enlightenment on Covid-19 across the state.
The State Director in Gombe State, Mrs. Sarah A Yapkwa, disclosed this during an interview with the qualitative magazine, that the collaboration was taking the campaigns to motor parks and other public places, telling them of the measures needed to be observed to protect themselves on Covid-19, especially the importance of hand washing with soap and sanitizer.
Mrs. Yapkwa said the campaign was sometimes buying airtime in some radio stations in the state for live programmes on Covid-19, by opening phone lines to give the public the opportunity to call in and asked questions, as well as give their inputs about Covid-19.
According to her, people, especially those in the rural area do not understand the importance of washing of hands with soap and sanitizer, but that the campaign and live programmes and public contributions on the radio were creating the needed enlightenment and appreciation towards NOA for the contribution.
She said some people in some places were not wearing face masks and were not observing social distance, but that the campaign was going round places like Motor Parks and other public places to enlighten them to become more enlightened to observe them.
Mrs. Yapkwa said recent NOA and groups collaboration was taken to the Bauchi Motor park and ended in the Gombe Central Round-About, where people were enlightened the dangers of Covid-19 and the need to observe the measures put in place to prevent spread, as well as protect themselves from the dreaded Corona virus.
She further said since the emergence of the Covid-19 in the month of February in Nigeria, the NOA had not relent in its efforts to go from place to place to educate the public, as directed by the National Headquarters, because enlightenment was what was needed as contribution to curb the spread of the virus.
The Nigeria Police Force has commenced nationwide recruitment of constables barring persons with the following forms of disabilities; persons with bow legs, knock knees, bent knees, and gross malformation of teeth from being enlisted into the Force.
Others barred from the exercise include persons with amputated body parts, defective eyesight, and a speech impediment.
This is contained in a public notice signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba.
According to the notice, applicants must be within the ages of 17 and 25 and must possess a minimum of five credits in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination in not more than two sittings.
The police further stated that women who wish to apply must not be pregnant as of the time of recruitment.
Interested candidates must have a functional email address and National Identification Number.
The online application would be open from July 14 2020, to August 23, 2020.
My question is the police going to meet the provisions of PART VI section 29 of Discrimination against Persons with disabilities ( Prohibition) Act 2018 which states that All employers of labour in public organisations shall, as mush as possible, have persons with disabilities constituting at 5% of their employment.
The law did not give room for exceptions, the Nigerian Police should find ways to accommodate 5 percent of persons with disabilities in their new recruitment.
In as much as the police are looking for frontline officers, they should look inwards and employ persons with disabilities in offices/ departments where they can work effectively to meet the 5 percent of employment as the law stipulated in Discrimination against Persons with disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 which came into being courtesy of President Muhammadu Buhari assent to it in January 2019.
Retired AVM Muhammadu Muhammed, the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), disclosed this during his visit to Gov. Godwin Obaseki in Benin on Friday.
Muhammed said that the food items allocated to the state consisted of 323.29 tonnes of maize, an equivalent of 11 truck loads and 156.51 tonnes of garri, totalling six truck loads respectively.null
“I am directed, on behalf of the President, to present assorted grains from the national food reserve, approved as palliatives to the vulnerable persons affected by the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown.
“The outbreak of the pandemic has altered our lives and negatively impacted on the vulnerable that depend largely on others for their daily survival.
“Such persons are people with disabilities and persons of concern that deserve support, in terms of basic necessities including food.
“These are palliatives that are expected to cater for 64,613 households,” the director-general said.
He urged Edo government to come up with proactive measures which included the state emergency management agency, frontline local government councils and other response agencies.
Muhammed noted that such agencies must be prepared to carry out enlightenment campaign to vulnerable communities in the state.
He said that the government should identify high ground for camp, for evacuated communities among other measures.
Obaseki commended NEMA for being responsive to Edo government’s emergency situation.
“You have responded to our request very swiftly in terms of emergency and we really appreciate the palliatives to the most vulnerable in our society, as the consequence of the COVID-19 lockdown,” the governor said.
He said that the distribution of the palliatives would be done in collaboration with community leaders and religious bodies, who would identify those who had suffered the most, as a result of the pandemic.
The governor gave an assurance that the palliatives would get to those the items were meant for
The legend tells Pulse about the journey that led to finding the joy to release his debut album
When Cobhams Asuquo was around eight years old, he realized that he was different to the other voices he would hear around him. While they always moved around effortlessly and used words like ‘see,’ he realized that he couldn’t process the meaning of that word because he doesn’t see at all.
Still, he was rambunctious and troublesome, like every other kid; he ran, he played and even fought other kids – when necessary. As he moved into his teens, ‘friends’ would make jokes about his sight whenever a fight broke out.
The haven afforded by his family fostered natural confidence in him, that made him open and slightly unbothered. But by 16, he was slightly down when his friends were driving their fathers’ cars and he couldn’t do that to impress a girl on his block. He jokes that, “Thankfully, my father didn’t even have a car at that point.”
But on this day 23 years later, he is dressed in an all-white outfit in the upper part of a duplex owned by him as his creative hub. He is also recording his overdue debut album as he laughs about this ‘disadvantage’ and comfortably says, “I like to call it blind, not visually impaired because I don’t see anything.”
He is calm, witty and humble. More importantly, he is incredibly blessed with high [emotional] intelligence. He is also highly aware of every bit of sound, including the music he’s working on in the next studio, which plays on an interconnected headphone about 20 metres from where he sits.
This beautiful life that he currently lives is afforded by the gift he picked up around the same time he was discovering the extent of his disability – music. However, he rejects any notion that he picked music because his disability reduced his functionality to just learning and enjoying sounds.
How did he find music?
Cobhams didn’t just discover music somewhere, it’s always been a part of his life. His Dad and Mum were music people. His brothers and sister introduced him to Hip-Hop, classical and producers like DarkChild, Timbaland. By age seven, a friend called Wrangler Rotimi gave Cobhams his sister’s toy piano and told him Cobhams never to play it outside.
“But that was stealing though, come to think of it [laughs],” Cobhams said of the event. Thereafter, he attended Pacelli School For The Blind and Partially Sighted Children. There, he found a proper piano.
By age eight, Cobhams joined the choir and started playing for St. Charles Iwanga Catholic Church, Ikeja, St. Christopher’s Church and the Protestant Church. He learned the piano by himself. By age 13, he found a PSS-51 piano where he could record multitracks at the same time.
Then, he knew he wanted to make music – either as producer or artist. He would always daydream getting played on the first private Nigerian radio station. Around this time, he had also begun to deconstruct music in his head. At 16, he had his first studio production at Charly Boy’s studio, New wave Productions and he never stopped.
“In hindsight, I wasn’t making it for a career – it was my life. I remember my mother would chase me to eat breakfast at 5 pm, when I would be busy playing for church,” he says.
Progressing in music and meeting Maintain
One of the first major hits that Cobhams produced was ‘Catch Cold’ for a newly reduced Maintain. The man now known as Daddy Freeze and his ex-wife, Opeyemi Olarinde had walked away from the Ibadan-formed group, leaving Olu, Tolu and Big Bamo.
“I was working on a commercial in Real Studios in faraway Iju (laughs) – I slept there for three days. Big Bamo was also there and he wanted to burn something, but didn’t have a CD. I was down to my last six CDs and he asked to pay for one, but I gave it to him for free. He then liked what I was working on and asked to link up with Maintain, but I didn’t believe him.
“To my disbelief, he called me about four weeks later,” Cobhams says on how he met Maintain.
Quitting Law for music
He reluctantly admits that he has always been a straight A student. He got a full scholarship to study Law at Mercer University, Macon, Georgia, but couldn’t go because someone on the school board contested his scholarship.
He then started studying Law at the University of Lagos, but his life was always driven by perspective and common sense, rather than an expectation of others as regards how he should live his life. When people again wrongly contested his matriculation status and the music was already looking up, having already produced Maintain’s‘Catch Cold,’ he quit school.
“My life meant and means so much to me that I just had to follow the interesting trajectory before me and what was right for me and everyone connected to me. When I was leaving school, everyone knew it was because of a higher calling, not because I wasn’t doing well,” he says.
Frustration with the Nigerian education system simplified Cobhams’ decision to drop out of school. He likened the situation to the classic Sunny Ade song, ‘Esu BiriBiri.’
Working with Faze and Asa
Between 2001 and 2003 as a producer, Cobhams sounded like Timbaland, Darkchild and Dre, but it soon became about standing out. By 2004, he produced the classic Faze solo debut, Faze Alone alongside the late great, OJB Jezreel. Around that time, he also produced ‘Cry’ for Modenine.
By the middle of the decade, he linked up with Janet Nwose through TY Bello – Nwose’s boss at the time. Nwose, a photographercurrently manages Asa’s and does backup. Cobhams and Nwose shared a love for music and that led to meeting Asa at Alliance Francaise.
Two minutes later Asa goes, “Does anybody know where we can find fried yam?” Cobhams loved her realness and quirkiness, and they connected.
Meeting Asa helped Cobhams find his own sonic self. Asa came back from France one day and kept saying, “Cobhams, I want magic that’s arty…” Cobhams knew Asa had something in her head, so he listened to her and reached into her mind. That process birthed the early Asa sound because Cobhams dreaded failure.
He describes it, “When I receive music and interpret it adequately, I find the sound of that time and that was what happened.”
Cobhams, the artist 1: Fears and Dislikes
Most people didn’t realize Cobhams was an artist until he rapped a masterful verse on ‘No Lele’ by Dekunle Fuji in 2007. But before then, he had backing vocals on ‘Faze Alone’ ‘Need Somebody,’ and ‘Play’ which he produced for Faze, ‘Ego’ for Djinee, ‘Cry’ for Modenine, ‘Street Life’ for Questionmark All-stars, ‘Eye Adaba’ for Asa and more.
Around this time, Cobhams worked with Questionmark Entertainment a lot and was signed on as a songwriter later. In 2005, he had a publishing deal with Sony/ATV – the deal expired in 2010. During that time, he got briefs to write for acts like Dixie Chicks, Beyonce, Laura Isibor and so forth. He then had a song-deal with Universal.
He didn’t really have sufficient motivation to create his desired output to become an artist until 2011 – in fact, he used to dislike his own voice because he incessantly compared his voice to the ones he admired.
Cobhams had his first son in America around this time, so he went all out with an orchestra and band in Nashville, Tennessee, US and recorded a full album.
When it came time to voice, Cobhams recorded two sessions, felt intimidated, pulled the plug and stopped singing for two months. He promised himself to sell the songs afterwards, but he met Danny Duncan, a musician who made Cobhams see that he was only afraid of failure.
So, this perfectionist went back with renewed belief and that led to his first ever solo single, ‘Ordinary People’ in 2014.
Cobhams, the artist: Debut album
Cobhams is currently transitioning into singing more intentionally. Sometimes, the music will require him to do Hip-Hop, Sung-rap, Trap, Classical, Afro-pop and more. With excitement and enthusiasm he says, “It will be interesting, classy, Afrobeats, Reggae and really good stuff. I’m also featuring a lot of artists across Africa.”
These days, Cobhams respects artists who create and pay for their own music because he’s seen a different need for accountability and funding as he creates. After the experience with Cobhams Asuquo Music Production (CAMP) – the company that brought Bez and Omolara the man learned from failure.
He’s also learned how to not give room for doubt because he’s always been a man of faith – he’s a firm Christian. The combined effects of these lessons will help Cobhams shape his debut album, from which ‘We Plenti’ featuring Simi has already dropped. The album is on the way, but for now singles will keep dropping.
He also listens to Joeboy, Omah Lay, Mr. Eazi, Fireboy, Rema, Trap music, Jazz, Reggae, Amapiano and everything you can think of. These things inspire this legend.
Rejecting ‘greatness’ tags
When this writer told Cobhams that he is one of the greatest Nigerian producers ever, he rejected the tag and said, “That’s a bit of a stretch o [scoffs].”
He continues, “I don’t know what to say to that, all I can say is that I’ve heard you. I wouldn’t say it doesn’t matter, what I’d say is that we can all be great and I just want the value of what I put in to matter. Nigeria is just coming to terms with the value of work – it’s almost like you don’t need to work before you get validated in this space.
“I’m running my own race and I love it. I measure the value with money [laughs] as a prime way. I’m not broke and I’m thankful to God because I was nobody. In 2000 or 2001, I made music for meat pie and Fanta because I changed another producer’s entire beat.”
What would Cobhams do if he wasn’t making music?
Instantly, he jokes that he was meant to be a Lawyer, “If I wasn’t making music, Law would probably still be a thing for me – I have a thing for it and it excites me. [Jokingly screams] It makes me use my common sense [laughs]. I love being able to relate to the Law as the principle of the land and the agreement of the people to be governed by.
“I find it exciting and insightful from an argumentative point of view. It’s just sad that I didn’t go to Law school – I’m a college drop-out [laughs] like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Kanye West and so forth. The trajectory is familiar on the way to billions, don’t you think? [laughs].”
While he told a magazine that he’s grateful for his disability, as it afforded him a music career in 2015, he doesn’t think so anymore. Now, he feels like he might have found something equally fun and fulfilling if he could see. He says, “I like the adrenaline of race car driving – I could have done that, nobody knows [laughs].”
To Cobhams, that’s a different life and that life can’t have the memory of this life. He feels he’s not intelligent enough to imagine such possibilities. But at this time, Cobhams is becoming an artist. He’s conquered it all – the world of artists is primed of his greatness.
These days, he’s a UNICEF Ambassador and CEO of GreyWold Media. Cobhams still loves Nigeria and respects women. He still wants to make money and care for people he loves. One day, we hope his collaboration with Yinka Ayefele and Sir Shina Peters drops one day. You’re free to scream.
