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AVERT IMMINENT STREETS ENGULFED BY BEGGARS WITH DISABILITIES

By
Agbo Christian
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a soldier who lost his leg in battlefield with Bokoharam

Have we thought of the impact of these recent crises on us Nigerians, apart from the deaths, a good number of people are left with disability? The insurgency, banditry, farmers/herders’ crises, religious/ethnic crises have left a lot of survivals of these attacks disabled. Whenever these attacks happen, some deaths would be recorded but there is little or no record of those who sustained serious injuries that will put them in no other option but permanent disability. Consider the number of times these crises have happened recently, your guess will be a good as mine, the number of people living with disability today as a result of the crises. The number of people with disabilities is fast increasing, thank God we have an act that prohibit discrimination and harmful practices against them. I now call on the Mr. president to commence the process of implementing the law. It is over 100days, he assented to it, there has been silences since then. Please let’s Consider the importance of the law, the impact it will have in the lives of our soldiers who have become disabled in the line of their duty. They should be assured of a better future likewise other people. This is the right time for implementation. Nigerians with disabilities has spent many years of untold sufferings, without further delay lets begin to ease their sufferings by setting up a commission that will shoulder the responsibility of implementing the law.

A person who lost his leg as result of crises

This our perceived prompt action of implementation of law from government will go long way to avert this imminent engulfed of our street with beggars with disabilities because as long as these men and women remain unengaged because of their disability, the next step is to beg for alms and their destinations are the big cities.

Implementation of the act will ensure provision of the disability friendly facilities, good welfare packages, access to health care, education, transportation, employment etc. It will make life a lot easier for Nigerians living with disabilities. It will be good to note that apart from the huge number of people becoming disabled as a result of road crashes and these crises, we are faced with inevitable one that will surely come if we wish to live long, how ready are we? We should be thinking about those barriers we will face when it happens, we should be making effort to see that our environment is made more accessible to ease our sufferings when it finally comes. Let’s plan for our tomorrow today, more inclusive and accessible society is not meant only for people living with disability today. It is meant for everybody, lets all support this advocacy of implementation of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act.

A soldier’s fingers chopped off at the battlefield

Going forward, I will appeal to the government to do more to curb this insecurity because it is creating more problems for us, apart from those who died, we have more problems in our hands, increment of Nigerians with disabilities posed a great challenge, managing a person living with disability who have been active most of his/her life is always difficult. Most times, they don’t overcome the trauma and some of them find it hard to become productive in their new found condition. Considering these challenges, they are faced with when they find themselves in these situations, I am advocating for more proactive security architecture, empowerment and cohesion programmes that will nip in the board these crises.  

As we have in our hands this situation of more people is joining disability community because of these crises and it is not abating, if it persists, those joining disability community will be on a rise. For this reason, I am appealing to the policy makers to remember people with disabilities in all the policies and again formulate deliberate policies that will encourage the continued productivity inspite of the disability.

A child who became an amputee as a result of the attacks

The so much talked about infrastructural development without special consideration of Nigerians with disabilities is worrisome. All our infrastructures should have disability content. Nigerian government should please as a matter of urgency overhaul the existing infrastructures in conformity with the inclusion of the People with disabilities and ensure that ongoing and the incoming ones should have full compliance of disability friendly facilities. Our country Nigeria should show more compassion to the weak, that’s what will make her truly the giant of Africa.  

Written by Agbo Chris, a Polio Survivor and the Executive Director, The Qualitative magazine (a disability advocacy magazine).

The man with disability who defied expectations to write Russia’s most-read political blog

By
Agbo Christian
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By Alexander Roslyakov, Naira Davlashyan

Alexander Gorbunov

Gorbunov is the author of the once-anonymous Stalingulag. With more than a million followers on Twitter and over 370,000 on the Telegram messaging app, it’s one of Russia’s most-read political blogs.

Calling himself a “simple Russian from Dagestan”, the blogger openly criticises the authorities and doesn’t shy away from profanity.

“I don’t know what the secret of my success is,” he says modestly. “But my readers often tell me: you write what we’re thinking. Perhaps it’s because we’re one people. We live in the same country and have common interests and wishes.”

Last year, Russian news outlet RBK published an investigation, calling Gorbunov a possible author of Stalingulag. At the time, the blogger laughed it off, but the story took an unexpected turn and he felt he had to come out. According to Gorbunov, at the end of April “people in uniform” came to his family in Makhachkala and Moscow, asking after him.

Although police haven’t confirmed this nor approached Gorbunov or his family since the blogger feels unsafe.

“I believe publicity is the only way out of this situation,” he said. “It’s the only way for a person who hasn’t committed any crimes to protect himself in our country.”

‘My birth changed my parents’ lives’

Gorbunov was born in Makhachkala with spinal muscular atrophy, a genetic disorder in which a person cannot control the movement of his muscles.

His father is a builder, and his mother worked in a shop but with the birth of their son, she had to quit as the child needed constant care.

“They never told me that my birth changed their lives, but with time I understand how a much it did,” Gorbunov said.

The blogger looks back at his childhood with fondness, saying that despite the hulky, cheap wheelchair he was in, he never had problems communicating with peers.

“In Makhachkala, where I lived, we had a courtyard for several houses and that’s where we spent our time,” he continued. “We were all of different ages and we all went to each other’s homes for birthdays. It was fun.”

After receiving a law degree in Dagestan, Gorbunov moved to Moscow. Wishing for as much independence as he could get, he started working at an early age. Now he rents an apartment in the Russian capital and earns his living trading. He says that freedom for a person with his diagnosis costs a pretty penny and it’s a lot of work.

“I want to live as freely as possible,” he says. “At the same time, I do not want to burden my family who are dear to me, whom I love. So I don’t see the long hours I spend working as a hardship.”

‘If you’re in a wheelchair, all you should do is pray and ask for help.’

Gorbunov’s electric wheelchair has a phone holder. Leaning forward, he answers calls on the speakerphone or uses his left index finger to type texts. His right hand lies on the control panel and when long fingers deformed by the disease, push the joystick, the wheelchair obediently moves.

Despite the seeming bulkiness of the wheelchair, Gorbunov moves in the stream of people with agility and confidence. Two male assistance come to help when the wheelchair approaches the more difficult parts of the road. They also help him take a sip of water or smoke.

“I can’t be left alone for more than 15 minutes, because I might get thirsty or hungry, I might want to move to the sofa or lie on the bed,” says Gorbunov.

He says many things in his life are difficult to explain to people who do not use a wheelchair and a person with disabilities often finds himself living outside of society. “You don’t see people in wheelchairs in the streets in Russia, because it’s difficult to navigate them. There’s a huge number of people who can’t even leave their apartments.”

In addition to the obvious inconvenience of disability, Gorbunov says that he often faces stigmatisation.

“When people found out I was behind Stalingagulag there were millions of comments,” he said. “How can you use profanities? Like, if you’re in a wheelchair, you can’t do anything, you just have to pray, ask for someone’s help and look at the world from the window of your apartment. Preferably never leaving it.”

Gorbunov says the illness gets worse every day, but he refuses to see doctors. “I want to live a full, busy life,” he says. “And it’s reflected in Stalingulag. Because there I write only what I want to, and the way I want to, despite the criticism that I get. But that’s how I think and feel in the moment and I think that’s my right.

A day with Damaturu blind Shepherd

By
Agbo Christian
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By Hamisu Kabir Matazu, Damaturu


Sheriff Gadi with his flock

In the middle of vast bush, a blind shepherd, Sheriff Gadi, 27, dressed in overall jacket, rain boot, with a stick and listens intently to the sound of a grazing herd. Although far from his home, at Maisandari, a suburb of Damaturu, the state capital of Yobe,  Gadi tends the flock of sheep and goats at a far-off bush everyday.

Everyday, he collects the animals at doorsteps of the owners who pay him modest allowances for every sheep or goat that he guides to the meadow. Mala Zarami, a sheep owner, said that Gadi collects the animals from them.

“I entrusted him with 18 of my sheep but not for once a single one was reported missing for six years now. And another funny thing is that sheep usually get missing in the hands of people that relieved him when he returns to call Zhur (noon) prayer,” he said. For many residents in the area, it is strange seeing a blind man controlling a large number of herd but, for Gadi, it’s an easy job he has been doing right from childhood. Our correspondent, who went out  with the blind shepherd, observed that  the instincts, skills and a hidden talent of Gadi made him distinct from rest of the blind men  in town. A typical day for Gadi starts at 4:00 a.m. when he wakes up for the early morning prayer. Infact, he calls the prayer at his neighbourhood mosque. “I wake up every day to call people to prayer at 4:00 a.m. We pray at the approved time and complete the prayer minutes after 5:00am. That is how I normally start my day. From there, I usually move straight home to feed my animals” he said. Gadi, married with one daughter, Fatima, is living in the same compound with his parents, where he keeps fowls and pigeons that he also dedicates his time to. He said they also serve as an extra source of income to him. “I always feed these birds before leaving for the bush. These brood of chickens were all hatched by this grey hen beside you,” he told me. His neighbour, Muhammad Sani, says Gadi uses his instinct to differentiate his birds’ gender, size and colour. “If  we had not known that he has been blind from childhood, nobody would have  believed that he is blind. But, Gadi is very creative and a genius because he uses his instincts and talent to operate independently. If you noticed his pigeons have tags on their legs. Only God knows what he uses that for,” he said. Gadi narrated that his predicament started months after he was born. “I had fever with a severe headache, so a native doctor came to our house and performed local surgery on the eyes. He forgot to tell my mother that she should apply warm water on the eyes as was the tradition with such treatment. After four days I turned blind. I was taken to different eye hospitals in Kano and Maiduguri but they couldn’t return my sight. They said the damage was beyond repair,” he said. It was time for us to move out on the day’s job. After cuddling his daughter, Fatima, we set out moving from one house to another to collect the flock. On our way to the bush I observed Gadi putting in various instinctive skills to keep track of his movement and that of the moving herd. At a distance of about 2km, Gadi suddenly stopped, and the animals pounced on the surrounding shrubs. We stood under a scanty tree shed, which availed me the chance to discuss about his life and the general behaviour of the flock. On why he decided to break from the long distance trek, Gadi said the movement of the herd always gives him a clue to where they would graze. “As we started moving from home, it’s only here that they slow down because once there is grass, they always slow down. I can also hear them munching, which means they have gotten food to graze on. “If you noticed very well, I moved quickly ahead of them. What I did was going further to confirm that no animal enters the water melon farm that bordered this farmland”. Surprisingly, there is a water melon farm, when this reporter checked. “Once they come close to this water melon farm, they always misbehave” he said Throughout the afternoon trek, Gadi complained on a particular sheep that bleats, saying that the owner had defaulted paying him his allowance for weeks. Also, this reporter observed another goat that Gadi always ran after and returned her to the flock, using his instinct to gauge distance and direction of the over 400 animals. “Sheep is easier to rear but it   doesn’t withstand hunger, unlike goat that picks little food and survives the drought. It’s always difficult to rear goats, especially during farming season, they are very hard to control.” Sadly, with all the hours that Gadi spends in the bush taking care of the animals, he does not own a single one. However, the job enables him to feed his family and attend to some of his needs. “I wish I can have five goats or sheep of my own. I will grow them into flock and depend on them for livelihood” he said.

culled from Daily Trust

How the deaf communicate at Plateau’s health facilities

By
Agbo Christian
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By Lami Sadiq, Jos

Thirty-four-year-old Pantong Dashwet lived in the United States of America for seven years where as a deaf young man, he communicated much easily with care givers especially doctors and nurses in hospitals. “There are interpreters in their hospitals, they also have Video Relay Services (VRS) which makes communication very easy,” he told Benue/Plateau Trust through an interpreter in Jos.

But like many who are deaf, Pantong says things are difficult in Nigeria and the lack of interpreters and technology like the VRS to assist those with the disability often discourages them from seeking medical help. Pantong says he finds it stressful to communicate with doctors and nurses in the hospital as both have to resort to writing back and forth which is not only tasking but time consuming.

Plangnan Dennis, who is 31, is also deaf but post lingual because she lost hearing at the age of eight due to an illness. She often goes to the hospital with her mother or brother because they understand basic sign language and often times serve as interpreters between herself and the doctors. But on days she visits the hospital alone, she also has to make do with writing. Both Plangnan and Pantong told Benue/Plateau Trust that their experiences with doctors and nurses in hospitals have been pleasant as the care givers are usually patient with them, and take their time to clarify their written statements. With an estimated 17 million deaf people in the country, getting interpreters in Nigerian hospitals should be seen as a priority especially in emergency situations where the patients may be illiterate and or incapacitated to write. Wuni Bitrus, a disability advocate and the co-founder of Deaf Technology Foundation where deaf children are trained on Computer Programming and Robotic, says the deaf community is a low income community that has been neglected in virtually everything especially education and the health sector. Bitrus, who often renders voluntary interpretation services at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), said “for them to even afford going to the hospital is a challenge not to talk of the medium of communication, which is another hindrance. They usually have resistance going to heath care facilities especially since most of them are not literate. Some get lost in communication using pen and paper because they are not literate and there is a likelihood that the doctors could use his discretion to diagnose them.” Pantong advises that hospitals should employ capable interpreters and explained that; “It would be nice if doctors too can learn sign language to make communication easier, especially basic language regarding their medical field such as sings for symptoms of various illness or diagnosis.” Plangnan also believes that the stress of writing back and forth on both doctors and patients could be avoided if basic sign language was introduced in medical schools so that doctors and nurses can learn early enough to communicate with deaf patients. “Again, a deaf individual should be allowed to study Medicine, Pharmacy and other related courses such as Nursing so that they can best attend and treat their own without any communication barrier,” she also said through an interpreter. Speaking with Benue/Plateau Trust, Consultant Family Physician with the Vom Christian hospital, Dr. Gyang Mark said dealing with the deaf was like communication with someone in a foreign language. Dr. Mark explained that most of such patients with hearing and speech impairments often visit hospitals with families who help with the interpretation but agrees that medical personnel could get some basic training in sign language. He said, “while it is advisable to get those who understand sign languages in the hospital, the better alternative would be to get some medical personnel trained on sign language.”

culled from Daily Trust

Cedar Seeds inspires more people with disabilities into politics

By
Agbo Christian
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On 9th of May 2019, Cedar seeds foundation as part of their programme of mainstreaming political participation of persons with disabilities towards an inclusive electoral procees organized a focus group discussion in Abuja to draw up ways for proper engagement of the critical stakeholders for an improved involvement of people with disabilities in the political space in Nigeria.

Lois Auta being interviewed by The Qualitative Magazine reporter

Lois Auta, the Executive Director and Founder of Cedar Seeds Foundation in her introductory remarks, explained that the focus group discussion is part of the foundation’s lined up programmes on mainstreaming people with disabilities in politics. It is a programmes sponsored by MacAuthur Foundation and the activities are townhall meetings, press conferences, focus group discussions and advocacy visits to key stakeholders to advocate inclusive elections, participation of PWDs in politics and how political space can be more inclusive for PWDs. She was excited to have participated in the last general election where she contested for Federal House of Representative (Bwari/AMAC Federal Constituency). She said that though she didn’t win the election but she won the process. She is the first and only woman with disability to contest for House of Representative seat out of 4,680 candidates that were on the ballot across the country. She has set a record; She has inspired other women with disabilities and people with disabilities at large to participate in the 2023 elections. She went further to say that venturing in politics came with a lot of challenges for her as a woman with disability, challenge of accessibility, funding and being a woman and also a woman living with disability, ethnicity, religion and so on. In spite of all these challenges she pushed through and eventually, her name made it to the ballot. It is exciting for her voting for herself in a federal election, it was an emotional and memorable day for her. She advised the Federal Government to expedite action to implement the newly signed Disability Rights Act. She advocates that political parties should reduce the cost of expression of interest form and the electoral act should be reviewed to accommodate that and political parties should give waivers to people with disabilities to encourage their participation in the elective offices or have a quota system for people with disabilities. These should be reflected in the party constitutions and manifestoes.

A Group photograph of the Participants

She proffered a strategy that will systemically encourage more people with disabilities in politics which is to introduce an affirmative action for PWDs into the parliament at all levels. The model has been adopted by Ugandan and it worked. It can be done here in Nigeria. A certain percentage (like 5percent) of parliamentarian seats at all levels should be reserved for people with disabilities. People with disabilities being among the poorest of the poor due to their limitations requires some legislative assistance to encourage their participation in politics. Being in the parliament will create several opportunities to influence laws and policies that will enhance inclusion of people with disabilities in different sectors such as education, employment, transportation, health etc.

The focus group discussion was attended by people with disabilities of different clusters and some resolutions were reached.

  1. INEC should do more in awareness creation about inclusive election so that PWDs will be well informed about the process.
  2. INEC should change their disability desk officers to people with disabilities because it is only those who live with disability understands the issues better.
  3. People with Disabilities should get more involved in politics through joining political parties and picking up party nomination forms because it is known fact that when people with disabilities are within the corridors of power, they will influence more policies to their favour.
  4. Funding is a challenge that hinders people with disabilities from going into politics. Electoral act should be reformed to cut down the cost of campaigning and expression of interest form and again political parties should give waivers to people with disabilities whenever they have interest to contest.
  5. The political parties should incorporate the interest of the people with disabilities in their party manifestoes and constitutions.
  6. The government should as a matter of urgency commence the implementation of the Discrimination against People with disabilities Prohibition Act. It will go a long way to mainstream persons with disabilities in politics.
  7. The people with disabilities will engage the media more in the advocacy of people with disabilities participation in politics.

Persons with disabilities produces tricycles and wheelchairs for Charity

By
Agbo Christian
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The tricycles

On Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th of May, 2019, Beautiful Gate Handicapped People Centre, Jos headed by renowned politician with disability Ayuba Burki Gufwan organized a reach out programme in Jigawa state where they donated tricycles to over 65 persons with disabilities. The programme took place at Emir’s palace Kazaure on Saturday while on Sunday, it took place at Gumel Emirate Foundation Secretariat, Gumel, Jigawa state. The success of the programme in jigawa state was ensured by Hon. Adamu Shaibu who identified and organized the beneficiaries.

Hon. Adamu Sha’aibu

Hon. Shaibu is a former state house assembly member of Jigawa state. He is the first person with disabilities in Jigawa state to be elected into the Jigawa state House of Assembly. He started work with the Centre in 2011 when he was still in the State House of Assembly. Basically, he coordinates and organizes the activities of the centre in Jigawa state.

Beautiful Gate Handicapped People Centre with the support of some churches in USA engaged about 65people with disabilities who are into the production of tricycles of different types and other mobility aids. This centre do reach to all persons with disabilities both Muslims and Christians and they do give out different kinds of mobility aids, wheelchairs, crutches, white canes for the blind, artificial limbs for the amputees. The reach out presentations are of different levels, as at now, they have visited 28 states out of 36 states of the Federation.

The presentations are done in States, Emirates, Local governments and under associations. Their targets are PWDs who need tricycles or wheelchairs to ease their movement to school and work, they engage some PWDs in skill acquisition and provide small buses to some PWDs to ease their sufferings. As at now, the Centre have given out over 18,000 tricycles and wheelchairs, a good number of white canes, crutches etc to PWDs across the country.

The centre is being funded by many churches in USA, the person overseeing the centre in Nigeria who always visit in some events on their behalf is Dr. Ron Rice. Ayuba Burki Gufwan, a graduate of Law in University of Jos and a person with disability is their agent in Nigeria and he coordinates the day to day running of the centre.

Access Nigeria set agenda for improved inclusive election for People with Disabilities in Kogi and Bayelsa

By
Agbo Christian
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Grace Jerry making her opening remark

Access Nigeria on 7thMay 2019 in Abuja held her third quarterly stakeholders Roundtable on Inclusive Elections in Nigeria. Access Nigeria is a disability votes matter campaign which was set up in 2016 to advocate for more accessible and inclusive elections for Persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Nigeria. In 2016, through the Access Nigeria, Disabled Persons Organizations (DPOs) came together to carry out first and second ever polling units accessibility audits to measure the level of access at the polling units by PWDs. Access Nigeria led to ensure that INEC implement some of the recommendations from the audits. Since then, Access Nigeria has continued to engage INEC to ensure that more recommendations about accessibility of PWDs to electoral process are implemented both during off-cycle elections in Ekiti, Ondo, Osun and the 2019 general elections.

Grace Jerry, the Executive Director of Inclusive Friends, the NGO who initiated the Access Nigeria campaign in her welcoming remark, applauded INEC for some milestones recorded on Accessibility of PWDs in 2019 elections. These milestones includes introduction of Braille ballot guide for blind voters , PWD-specific Election Day written instructions(EC30E) for the deaf voters, YIAGA Africa’s Parallel Vote Tabulation(PVT) data indicated that braille ballot guide recorded 41 percent distribution in the polling units across the country, the PWD-specific Election Day written instruction recorded 81 percent compliance in polling units nationwide. She commended INEC for institutionalizing these innovations as they were recommended by Access Nigeria. For example, inclusion of braille ballot guide and PWD-specific Election Day written instruction in the INEC training Manual for Election Officials. She commended INEC in the deployment of magnifying glasses for voters with Albinism. She urged INEC to retain these innovations in the Off-cycle gubernatorial elections in Kogi and Bayelsa. Another milestone visible at the 2019 general election is the priority voting for PWDs, majority of the electoral officers adhere to it and she urged the commission to retain it in Kogi and Bayelsa elections which she specifically acknowledged the presence of Resident Electoral Commissioners of Kogi and Bayelsa and asked that they take it from there.


Aubrey McCutcheon, Senior Resident Director NDI

She went further to point out some gaps noticed at 2019 general election which need to be addressed in Kogi and Bayelsa governorship elections. The location/positioning of ballot boxes and voting cubicles is still a challenge. Ballot boxes were still kept on the verandas of public buildings and these made it difficult for PWDs to access them. Braille ballot guide that was deployed at 41 percent of polling units nationwide did not match the presidential election ballot paper, and as such, the blind voters could not use it. Many blind voters didn’t see it at all. She pointed out that these shortcomings were of some reasons such as many ad-hoc staff on the field do not know what is braille ballot guide even when it was given to them, voter education on the use of braille ballot guide was insufficient even though Access Nigeria campaign shared these braille ballot guides to the state chapters of National Association of the Blind(NAB) and also paid for the Public service Announcement to popularize it, it was still not enough because Nigeria is large and this effort was not complimented by INEC. More importantly, INEC and Disabled People Organizations must carry out a survey of Voters with disabilities, type of disability and their polling units locations to inform better planning for the next elections. This will assist INEC to know where to deploy these materials.  

Aishatu Dukku. The Chairman, House of Reps Committee on Electoral Matters and Civil Society

The event witnessed the presence of Aubrey McCutcheon, Senior Resident Director NDI, Aishatu Dukku, the Chairman, House of Reps, Committee on Electoral Matters and Civil Society, Dr. Adekunle Ladipo Ogunmola, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Commission’s Outreach and Partnerships Committee (OPC) who represented the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, in INEC delegation also Hajiya Amina Zakari, National Commissioner, the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) of Kogi and Bayelsa states and relevant directors were also in attendance. In attendance also was a representative of the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), David Young, the United States Deputy Chief of Mission in Nigeria, Samuel Achimugu, Deputy Programme Manager for Governance, Conflict and Social Development, British Department for International Development (DFID). They all gave their goodwill messages.

Dr. Adekunle Ogunmola, The Chairman, INEC Outreach and Partnership Committee

Also present at the event were some leading disability rights advocates such as Ekaete Umoh, Chair, Disabled Peoples International (DPI) African Region; Jake Epelle, Founder/CEO, The Albino Foundation and Barrister Melody Omosah President, Network for the Advancement of People with Visible Disabilities (NAPVID), Dr. Duro Onota, Uja Sulaiman, The President of JONAPWD FCT Chapter, Betty Mube Vice President NAPWPD and many others.

The event had two all-important interactive sessions: The first session was on institutionalizing of INEC’s Innovations for PWD-Accessible Elections: A focus on The Braille Ballot Guide, PWD-Specific Election Day Written Instructions and Magnifying Glasses. A presentation was made by Barr. Melody Omosah-President, Network for the Advancement of people with Visible Disabilities (NAPVID), there were other discussants like Jake Epelle(Founder, Albino foundation), Dr. Adekunle Ladipo Ogunmola, Chairman OPC-INEC, and Ujah Sulaiman, The President, JONAPWD, FCT Chapter. It was moderated by Jide Ojo, a consultant (OJA consults) and public analysts. The other session which dealt with 2019 Off-Cycle Governorship Elections in Kogi and Bayelsa States: Revisiting Access Nigeria Recommendations for Improved Polling unit Accessibility. Dr. Duro Onota (Durosef Consultancy) made the presentation and other discussants were Hajiya Amina Zakari-INEC National Commissioner and Chair Health and Welfare Committee, Ekaete Umoh-Chair, Disabled Peoples International (DPI) African Region, Prof James Apam-Resident Electoral Commissioner, Kogi state and Pastor Monday Udo Tom- Resident Electoral Commissioner, Bayelsa State. It was moderated by Bem Aga-Senior Program Manager, NDI.


Samuel Achimugu, Deputy Programme Manager for Governance, Conflict and Social Development, British Department for International Development (DFID)

At the end of these interactive sessions, some resolutions were reached to set the tone for an improved outing in Kogi and Bayelsa states in the area of inclusiveness and accessibility of the PWDs in 2019 Off-Cycle governorship elections. These are the resolutions:

  1. That INEC and DPOs partner with state governments and school administrators to build ramps and handrails at polling units located in public buildings to make them more accessible for PWDs before the 2019 off-cycle governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states. 
  2. That INEC retains the Braille ballot guide, Election Day Written Instructions (EC30 E PWD), magnifying glasses and priority voting for the 2019 off-cycle governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states to assist voters with disabilities to vote without difficulties.   
  3. That INEC and the Access Nigeria campaign develop a clear protocol on who, when and how the final sample ballot paper is issued for the development of the braille guide. This will help address the mismatch of the ballot paper and guide experienced during the 2019 elections.
  4. That INEC makes critical innovations like the Braille ballot guide and Form EC 30E PWD a central component of its voter education messaging and partners with the Access Nigeria campaign, NAB, NAD and other DPOs to achieve better results on awareness creation.  
  5. That INEC strengthens the training of its ad-hoc staff on PWD assistive materials and processes like the Braille ballot guide, EC 30E PWD, EC 40H, priority etc. to ensure the inclusion and participation of PWDs in the 2019 Kogi and Bayelsa governorship elections and other upcoming elections. The Commission should consider working with DPOs.    
  6. That INEC works with the Access Nigeria campaign and other disability rights groups to urgently collect the data of PWDs disaggregated by type of disabilities, who are already registered voters during the CVR processes in Kogi and Bayelsa states to ensure effective planning for voters with disabilities.  
  7. That INEC permanently amends the CVR form to include spaces for disability status and type of disability before continuing the nationwide CVR process to collect disaggregated data at the point of registration.
  8. That INEC considers the draft Sign Language Interpreters Manual to be presented to the Commission by the Access Nigeria campaign to standardize the use of Sign Language Interpreters for the benefit of deaf citizens.
  9. That the NOA considers the draft Disability Manual to be presented to them by the Access Nigeria campaign to assist them effectively reach people with different forms of disabilities during their civic and public education campaigns for the Kogi and Bayelsa elections – and other future elections. 
  10.  That INEC RECs of Kogi and Bayelsa states incorporate JONAPWD to be members of the local government committee to assist in voter education at the community levels
  11.  Early Voter education should be designed and conducted to ensure that  
  12. PWDs are aware of all voting materials INEC has provided.
  13. That RECs of Bayelsa and Kogi should work with the JONAPWD Chairpersons  in their various states to achieve various recommendations outlined in this communique.

14. That the Access Nigeria campaign and relevant development agencies work to improve the capacity of DPOs to advocate effectively for provisions in the Nigerian Disability Act.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE PICTURE OF THE EVENT:

Jake Epelle

A blind Professional footballer marries a professional nurse

By
Agbo Christian
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In Enugu on Saturday, a Multi-Talented Blind man, Kenechukwu Agbanu married his longtime lover Miss Ngozi Okwuonu who is a nurse by profession.

Kenechukwu Agbanu, who was fully rehabilitated by an Enugu based non -Governmental Organisation ( NGO ), BINA Foundation for People with Special Needs, is a blind Professional footballer who plays for Lions Blind football club Enugu, he is also a musician and a bead maker. This remarkable occasion took place at Church of Transfiguration (Anglican Communion), Independence Layout, Enugu.

Rev Canon David Chukwubuihem during the homily at the wedding advised people to look beyond the physically appearance or disability while choosing a life partner, he gave God glory for what has happened because it is an indication that there is ability in every disability.

May God grant the couple a happy married life.

WE RING THE BELL- Advocacy for inclusive Education and accessibility of all schools to children with disabilities

By
Agbo Christian
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by Agbo Chris

The Daughters of Charity St. Vincent De Paul joined 25 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America to implement the annual advocacy programme titled WE RING THE BELL.

This programme which was initiated by The Liliane Foundation, Netherlands( an NGO that focuses on the empowerment of children and youngsters with disabilities from 0-25 years, using the CBR approach, for child development and the creation of enabling environment) is aimed at raising the awareness of the government and the general public on the need for inclusive education for children and youngsters with disabilities. The theme for 2019 is accessibility of the school environment for children with disabilities. The ten “urgent calls” below summarizes the points of the emphasis of this campaign.


THE TEN URGENT CALLS

The Daughters of Charity and 24 of their implementing partner organizations rang the bell in 17 states of the country with the participation of 26,279 persons. Publicity by the Media took the campaign beyond the immediate audience.

A person with disability addressing the students and the media

Among the participants of the programme at old parade ground, Area 10, Garki-Abuja were Mr Rasak Adekoya( a visually impaired disability rights advocate and the guest speaker), Mr. Ali Andrew Madugu (Deputy Director, Child Development, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development) the representative of the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Fatima Gambo Babba, the representative of the Director, FCT Secondary Education Board, Mr. Abel Aisnedion, the representative of  the Honourable Minister of Education, Mr. Ekujereonye Bede Obinna, the president, National Association of Blind, FCT Chapter and other stakeholders from Universal Basic Education Board FCT, SOS children’s Villages among others as well as schools such as Model Secondary School Maitama-Abuja, Hope Centre for Children with Special Needs, Kubwa-Abuja, Hope House Initiative, Gwarinpa-Abuja, Stella Child care Trust, Bwari-Abuja and Facado Orphanage, New Karu-Nassarawa State.

Mr. Ali Andrew Madugu (Deputy Director, Child Development) representing the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development

The Daughters of Charity used this medium to call on the government and the general public to make the schools more inclusive and accessible for children and youngsters with disabilities.

HERE ARE OTHER PICTURES OF WE RING THE BELL 2019:

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DISABILITIES ACT: MARKING 100 DAYS OF THE DISABILITY ACT, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES PRAYS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION

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Agbo Christian
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DAVID ANYAELE

On 4th of May, 2019, Centre for Citizen with disabilities (CCD) organized a Thanksgiving Service in Commemoration of 100 Days of Signing National Disability Bill into An Act by President Mohammadu Buhari Held at Liberty Chapel, Seventh Day Adventist Church Utako, Abuja. CCD put together this thanksgiving service as part the activities to mark 100 Days in which the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Bill 2018 was assented to by President Mohammadu Buhari. It was to appreciate God for answering the prayer of more than 25 million Nigerians with Disabilities. The event witnessed songs and praises and church in appreciating CCD for choosing their church for the special thanksgiving set up a three-man committee in a move to domesticate national disability act in the church.  The highlight of the event was a testimony/speech from the Executive Director, CCD, David Anyaele. In his speech, he thanked President Mohammadu Buhari for signing the bill into law. He recognized that it took the disability community more than 18 years of lobbing and advocacy to many sessions of the National Assembly for the passage of the bill, with different administrations at the Presidency denying assent to the bill. Appreciating that throughout the struggle for the passage of the bill, CCD organised three protest marches in 2017, 2018 and 2019, none of the participants at the protest marches suffered any form of injury or casualty. He acknowledged the support CCD received from partners (local and international) since the involvement and leadership of CCD in the struggle for the passage of the bill into an Act. He acknowledged the commitment of other leaders of disability community in the struggle which some of them were present at the thanksgiving. He commended the role played by the media in educating and sensitization of the public on the importance of the bill/Act and the need for the Presidential assent. Appreciating also that at the heat of the struggle God answered their prayers after CCD organized a prayer session at the Unity Fountain, Maitama, Abuja in less than 7 hours, God touched the heart of the President and he assented to the National Disability Bill.

David Anyaele is excited to appear before God to give Him all the glory for answering the prayers made by many Nigerians for the assent of the President on the Nigeria Disability Bill. CCD and the entire disability community are grateful to Pastor Kayode Arigbede, Senior Pastor of the Liberty Chapel, Seventh Day Adventist Church, Abuja for the constitution of a committee for the domestication of National Disability Act in their church. While appreciating the pastor for his move to domesticate the Act in his church, he called on religious bodies to support the government in the implementation of the National Disability Act as one of the key concerns of Nigerians with disabilities is access to worship centre on equal bases with others, most especially the Christian communities as this is in line Proverbs chapter 31 verse 8-9, which is what God expects from us.

To ensure that the purpose of the Act which is for the full integration of persons with disabilities into the society and establishes the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities; and vests the commission with the responsibilities for their education, health care, social, economic and civil rights is achieved.

David Anyaele urged the Federal Government to take urgent actions to ensure implementation of the National Disability Act. The first step expected from the government is the establishment of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities as provided in part 7, section 31 of the National Disability Act.

He called on the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture to take urgent action to ensure the full implementation of part 1, section 2 of the Act which provides that the Ministry shall make provisions for promotion of awareness regarding- the rights, respect and dignity of persons with disabilities; capabilities, achievements and contributions of persons with disabilities to the society.

hERE ARE MORE PICTURES FROM THE EVENT

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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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