The group said the plan by government to disengage N-power beneficiaries will affect people with disabilities who are a part of the scheme.

The Transnational Support Initiative for Persons with Disability has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to provide job opportunities for persons with disabilities in the N-power scheme.

TRANSPED in a statement signed by Timileyin Olonisaye said people with disabilities in Nigeria have few opportunities and government must make delibrate efforts to address this.

The statement reads, “Majority of persons with disabilities in Nigeria today are deprived of vital human rights and opportunities as they live in abject poverty which has subjected them to lives on the street. A reasonable percentage of these PWD are holders of MSc, BSc and NCE certificate, but in Nigeria, hardly does this matter. 

“This disparaging and denigrating act is as a result of the ignorance by all to the nature and needs of PWDs, as well as how to enhance adequate provision for these needs. It has therefore forced many PWDs to isolate and withdraw themselves from the society while developing a low self-esteem among other socio-emotional problems. These anomalies have discouraged parents, friends and guardians from investing. in the education of young PWDs.”

The group said the plan by government to disengage N-power beneficiaries will affect people with disabilities who are a part of the scheme.

It added, “Now that the Federal Government has decided to disengage all N-power beneficiaries, a shadow has been cast on the survival of the PWDs who will be dis-empowered by their disengagement from the N-power program. Will this not lead them back to abject poverty at a time where jobs are not readily available to PWDs?”

Saharareporters

For the second time since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Project Enable Africa, a Non-Governmental organisation, popularly known for promoting digital and social inclusions of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) on Thursday gave out food items to 100 beneficiaries within the Surulere and Yaba axis in Lagos to cushion the economic hardship the pandemic have subjected them to.

The food drive, done in collaboration with Ishk Tolaram Foundation, is the first batch in the second phase of the food drive catered for persons with disabilities in different clusters including the deaf, visually impaired, the physically challenged, those with sickle cell amongst other disability clusters.

Founder of the Initiative, Olusola Owonikoko in a statement, said the first phase of the food drive which held in April was very successful, but noted that the major challenge was that it triggered more request than it could cater for.

“Thankfully, with this strategic collaboration with the Ishk Tolaram Foundation, we are confident that we will be able to reach out to an additional 400 people across different communities in Lagos and we have started with those in Surulere and its environs today.”

“Most times when palliatives are been shared, the chances that Persons With Disabilities will be reached is always slim and when provisions are made for them, too many times, those without disabilities over-power the PWDs, making them disenfranchised.”

“With the collaboration with Ishk Tolaram, we are hopeful that more private sector organisations will begin to look into ways to partner with developmental outfits to bring about better outcomes for Persons with Disabilities even after the COVID 19 pandemic.”

Owonikoko reiterated that “Persons with Disabilities are an integral part of our population and it is important that we are mindful of them in all developmental processes most especially during a pandemic like this”.

According to one of the caregivers who brought a visually impaired beneficiary, “Project Enable Africa has shown that they are concerned with the pains of those PWDs.

“They are either training them with good skills like how to use the computer, or providing support in one way or the other, I got feedback from many people who benefited from the last outreach they did in Bariga and Olodi Apapa, but I wasn’t lucky then, however, they assured that they will reach out soon, and I am happy that they have given us not just food today but even money, sanitizers and nose masks, I pray that the Almighty will continue to bless them and their sponsors including Ishk Tolaram that produces Indomie noodles,” the beneficiary said. (Inclusivenews)

Two of the seven boys who took turns to rape a 22-year￾old physically challenged orphan in an uncompleted building at Sagin Lemu area of Sokoto North Local government area of Sokoto State, have been arraigned in court. The boys after committing the act were said to have gone into hiding.

However, working on intelligence, men of the Nigeria Security and Civil
Defence Corps (NSCDC) were said to have apprehended two of the rapists.

The boys who were arraigned before the
Magistrate Court 9 Kwannawa, have been remanded at the Sokoto Correctional Centre just as investigation and search for other fleeing gang members continue.

In a related development, men of the NSCDC have arrested a 23-year-old man
for raping a six-year-old girl in the Marina area of Sokoto State.

According to NSCDC,  the suspect who is in their custody will be charged
to court as soon as the investigation is completed.

The NSCDC in a display of professionalism took all the raped victims to Nana Khadija Centre for medical checks to ensure that they
are not infected with STDs. ( Leadership)

Misbahu Lawan Didi, a member of dissolved APC National Working Committee has congratulated HIS EXCELLENCY MAIMALA BUNI and his Committee Members on their appointment as APC National Caretaker/Convention committee, In a statement sent to The Qualitative Magazine, he said that as a Party Loyalist, he accepts and support Mr. President’s efforts to re-organize the party for the benefit of all its teaming Members Nationwide.

He thanked the Almighty Allah and all Nigerians with disabilities for their cooperation, help and support during his service to the Party as the past APC National Disabled Leader.

He also specially thanked Chief John Odegie Oyegun, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Adams Oshiomhole, Senator Lawal Shuaibu, His Excellency, Maimala Bumi and all the APC governors, his colleagues in the immediate past NWC and leaders of the Party for their support for him over the years.

He concluded by saying that he stand with Mr. President in his decision towards the resolution of the crisis in the party and pledge to support the National Caretaker Committee all the way.

On Friday 26th June Sightsavers Nigeria is launching a petition calling for the United Nations to meet the needs of people with disabilities who are facing the worst effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The lives of people with disabilities are being put at greater risk due to a lack of action from governments around the world to meet their needs during the pandemic, according to campaigners.

The petition is part of Sightsavers’ Equal World campaign, which seeks to amplify the voices of people with disabilities and highlight the denial of rights that they face globally.

Shikuku Obosi, Sightsavers’ Disability Inclusion Advisor, based in Nairobi said: “This is a life and death situation. Like everyone else, we are anxious, we are doing our best to ensure we don’t catch or spread this virus, while we try to feed ourselves and our families.

We, people with disabilities, are people. Just people. Nothing special or unusual. The difference is that we are also having to bend over backwards to get any recognition that we exist and that we also need assistance from our governments and development organisations. We are human too and we matter as well.”

The discrimination people with disabilities are reporting includes being deprioritised to receive health care; not being given vital information in accessible formats; denial of essential personal support; increased risk of contracting COVID-19 in institutions and barriers for women and girls who wish to claim their sexual and reproductive health rights.

Dr Sunday Isiyaku, Country Director for Sightsavers Nigeria and Ghana,  based in Kaduna, said: “COVID – 19 has exacerbated discrimination and exposed existing inequalities for people with disabilities.

For example, here in Nigeria we are seeing people with disabilities been discriminated, denied access to health care facilities, awareness information and needed economic palliative support in spite of their vulnerability. In fact, in Jigawa, a special assistance to the Governor on special needs who contracted COVID-19 passed on as a result of denied access to health care

Due to ongoing discrimination all over the world we see that when a disaster like COVID strikes, people with disabilities are the hardest hit and the least supported.”

Natasha Kennedy, Campaign Manager of Equal World said: “The disability rights movement is in a strong position to influence the UN right now. Its new Disability Rights framework could ensure the needs of people with disabilities are recognised and met across the entire UN system, including within its emergency health responses.

“We need the UN and member states to step-up their efforts to make this happen. This cannot be put on the backburner. We are in an international crisis and there are up to 1 billion people with disabilities who are trying to survive without the recognition or support they need.”

Equal World will collect petition signatures until Thursday 9^th July 2020. To sign the Equal World petition visit www.sightsavers.org/equalworld

Equal World  is Sightsavers campaign Equal World calls on the United Nations and member states to improve the lives of people with disabilities around the world by promoting disability rights and inclusion throughout its work.

The charity has campaigned for disability-inclusive global development since 2013, and in that time has seen significant recognition of disability as a priority issue.

For more information visit: www.sightsavers.org/equalworld  

  About Sightsavers Nigeria, SightSavers has been in Nigeria for over 60 years controlling, preventing and eliminating avoidable blindness and promoting the equal rights of people  with disabilities. Currently, we are developing cost effective demonstrable inclusive education models, strengthening the institutional capacity of disabled peoples’ organisation, championing inclusive health system, building the employability readiness of job seekers with disabilities and linking them to formal employment opportunities in the labour market. We work with local communities, using local volunteers to build trust and encourage people to accept the solution we provide and sustain them.

About Sightsavers International

1. Sightsavers is an international organisation that works in more than 30 developing countries to prevent avoidable blindness, treat and eliminate neglected tropical disease, and promote the rights of people with disabilities. 

1. Globally 2.2 billion people have a vision impairment and of these, at least 1 billion people have a vision impairment or blindness that could have been prevented or is yet to be addressed. This burden weighs more heavily on poorer countries, and on marginalised communities. And projections show that global demand for eye care is set to surge in the coming years.

1. In the seven decades since its foundation, Sightsavers has:
2. Supported more than 1.2 BILLION treatments for neglected tropical diseases
3. Carried out more than 7.7 million cataract operations to restore sight
4. Carried out more than 196 million eye examinations
5. –          Dispensed more than 4.6 million glasses

For further details, interviews, photos and case studies contact Rasak Adekoya, Programme Lead – Inclusion works at Sightsavers on radekoya@sightsavers.org / 2348034829045

The People With Disabilities(PWDs) in the country have alleged that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Federal Ministry of Health have not availed to them data of their members that were tested positive following the outbreak of COVID-19 recently.

“We have no data or record of our members that were screened or tested positive.

They, therefore, called on the Federal and states governments to make available data of PWD’s screened and those who are tested positive.

Speaking during a Zoom conference on ‘A Rapid Assessment of the effect of Government Covid-19 Communication and palliative distribution strategies in Kaduna organised by the centre for citizens with disabilities held on Friday, the Executive Director, David Anyaele, noted that even though there was awareness among its members but only a handful of its members were invited to participate as beneficiaries.

He alleged that the strategies for the distribution were very poor, saying there is the need to expand it by supporting the PWD’s and other groups.

Speaking further, Anyaele stated that what was even worrisome is that they have no data on the actual number of their members that are tested positive.

So also at the national level, the NCDC and the Federal Ministry of Health have not availed to them data.

He, therefore, called on Governor Nasir el-Rufai to domesticate the disabilities bill, saying once done it will help in addressing some of the challenges facing PWDs.

‘Many states have signed the bill in less than two or three days, I don’t know why there is a delay in signing the bill.

The assessment was carried out in five states namely Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Lagos, Kaduna and Kano.

by STANLEY NWANOSIKE

People with Disabilities (PWDs) have urged Enugu State Government and Council areas to tailor their mode of COVID-19information delivery to accomodate them.

This is contained in a new COVID-19 survey report on PWDs in Enugu State issued and signed by the Executive Director of Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), Mr David Anyaele, on Thursday in Enugu.

The survey report with theme: “Persons with Disabilities in Enugu State: A Rapid Assessment of the Effectiveness of Government COVID-19 Communication and Palliative Distribution Strategies’’, was issued during a visual meeting.

It recommended that PWDs-focused Information, Education and Communication (IEC), strategies should be designed and strictly implemented to effectively inform members of this community on all aspects of COVID-19.

“The information should be delivered to them through Braille for the Blind; Sign Language Interpreters for the Deaf and Bold Prints for the Sighted.

“It is advisable to identify and train trainers among the PWDs and PWDs organisations as well as support them with necessary logistics to step-down training to members of their community or clusters,’’ it said.

It called for provisions for the screening of PWDs for COVID-19 so that those infected could benefit from the free treatment by government.

“There should be improvement in the palliatives distribution by the inclusion of PWDs.

“There should be improvement in the process of communicating to the beneficiaries by involving the local PWD leaders in the process. Hi

“There should be effective coverage of PWDs in the COVID-19 palliative scheme as a matter of urgency before they are compelled to resort to survival behaviours that are contrary to government efforts to control spread of the disease,’’ it futher stated. (NAN)

By Kufre Etuk

A Non Governmental Organization, Centre for Citizens with Disabilities, CCD has called on Akwa Ibom State government to redesign administrative component of the COVID-19 palliatives Support Scheme to cover more Persons with Disabilities, PwDs before they resort to adopting survival behaviours capable of undermining government’s effort at controlling the spread of the virus in the state.

The call stemmed from the recent survey carried out by CCD to assess the effectiveness of the Information, Education and Communication (IEC)
and the palliative models to control the spread of covid-19 in five States including Akwa Ibom.

Addressing newsmen through zoom on COVID-19 Pandemic and assess to palliatives to Persons with Disabilities in Akwa Ibom State, the Executive Director CCD, Mr. David Anyaele recommended that clauses in National and State disability laws should be leveraged on to enhance the participation of PwDs in the distribution of the Covid-19 palliatives and other socio-economic support schemes.

He disclosed that 623 PwDs in the 31 local government areas of the state were reached.

Findings from the survey research carried out by CCD showed that 467 (75.0) were aware of the palliatives distribution in Akwa Ibom State while 182 (29.9) were actually invited to receive palliatives.

The Executive Director CCD called for improvement in the process of communicating to the beneficiaries of palliatives by involving the local PwD leaders in the process.

“IEC strategies that are sensitive to the blind, deaf and physically challenged
should be adopted to educate PwDs. They should be trained and involved in
delivering the information to them through: a. Braille for the blind, b. Sign language interpreters for the deaf, and c. Bold prints for the sighted.”

The NGO appealed that provisions should be made for the screening of PwDs for Covid-19 so that those infected can benefit from the free treatment by government.