Championing the  Cause of the Disabled

 

Members of the Association for Comprehensive Empowerment of Nigerians with Disability, ASCEND, protest the use of electronic doors which make it difficult for them to enter banking halls 

 

By  Sola Olorunfemi

 

Inscriptions on placards suffice to express the furies. This, they said, has further shown the insensitivity of Nigerians towards their plight.

Members of the Association for Comprehensive Empowerment of Nigerians with Disability, ASCEND, last August protested the ban of their members into banking halls. Since the introduction of electronic doors at banking halls as part of measures to curb bank robberies, disabled persons have been denied admission into banking halls. Security devices at the doors do not allow the use of metals including clutches into banking halls. Also, most of the doors do not have space for wheel chairs.

 

Cosmas Okoli, national president of the association said bank executives have ignored various representations to make amendment. “Since we got no response on letters written to the bankers committee over one year now especially on the issue of the architectural barriers militating against easy access to the banking halls by persons with disability, we are left with the option of picketing them on the issue,” he disclosed. He said the association has also made presentation to the National Assembly on the plight of the physically challenged on the use of public utilities like boarding of vehicles, road usage etc.       

 

The protest has forced bank executives back to the drawing board. Dapo Ewuola, a corporate affairs staff of First Bank of Nigeria, FBN believes “this should be an oversight on the part of the management as a result of the exigencies that armed robberies forced on the industries.” Dapo said the actions by some of the banks to keep the disabled customers out of the banking halls are not deliberate but strictly for security reasons.

In the same vein, Wale Alabi, corporate affairs manager of Wema Bank said, “The banks arrangements for the disabled are home banking or use of Automated Teller Machines,” arguing that there are always people who can assist the disabled inside the banking halls since the wheel chairs are made to be collapsible.  

 

The physically challenged also complain of discrimination in the areas of employment. The focus of this year's International Day of Disabled Persons was on decent work for persons with disabilities and on ways to tap into the abilities of this marginalized talent pool. Article 27 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recognizes the rights of persons with disabilities to work and be employed on an equal basis with others. It stresses the right of persons with disabilities to earn a living from freely chosen work, and to work in an environment that is both accessible and accepting.

 

Senator Tony Agbo, representing Ebonyi North in the National Assembly noted that “many countries like Nigeria do not actually have legislation to promote and protect the rights of workers with disabilities. This makes discrimination on the grounds of disability legitimate, hindering persons with disabilities from entering the labor market.” Agbo further said the discrimination often begins earlier in life, when persons with disabilities are denied other opportunities that would facilitate their inclusion into the workforce, such as education or training in employable skills, accessible transportation to get to work, and accessible workplaces.

 

Rita Ugochukwu, a psychology graduate said “empirical evidence has shown that persons with disabilities have high performance ratings and retention rates, as well as better attendance records than their colleagues without disabilities. Besides, the cost of accommodating workers with disabilities can be minimal, with most requiring no special accommodation at all.” Ugochukwu, a physically challenged person, said studies have shown that there are other benefits to employers of persons with disabilities, such as improved workforce morale and increased customer goodwill.

 

Presently, a bill is before the National Assembly seeking to compel private individuals, corporate organizations and government to give same rights to persons with disability in line with the constitution. The bill, 'the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities prohibition bill 2008,' which is sponsored by Senator Bode Olajumoke, Grand Patron of ASCEND, spelt out penalties for violators of the rights of the disabled through the proposed Disability Affairs Commission, DAC.

 

Rampaging Adamawa Flood

A midnight downpour wreaks havoc on four local government areas in Adamawa State

By Ibrahim A. Muhammad

Think of a family woken up by a storm only to see the whole household submerged by water! That was the scenario of residents of Malagirei and Kolere of Adamawa State. Before the rain, residents of the towns have joined other citizens of the state to pray for rain. The rain they have prayed for however brought more sorrow than relief. Several buildings were washed away by the flood. Even domestic animals were not spared. Mallam Sajo Bello was one of the residents whose house was washed away by the flood. 

The rain also affected some major bridges in the area. Yold-Pate Bridge is at the verge of collapse.  The road linking Gada Mayo and neighbouring villages was also affected. Mallam Salihu Garba, a primary school teacher who plies the road on a daily basis told Newsworld that the flood at Kolere was about six feet high.  In Shagari quarters, Yola south, a victim hinted that while the rain lasted for hours, water was, at the same time gushing out from the floor of his house and this, according to him, occurred in many houses within the area. At Jambutu, one of the worst affected areas, many residents who were enveloped with the fear of uncertainty, trooped out in the rain to see the havoc been wreaked on their properties. Newsworld learnt that people in most of the affected and other riverine areas in the state have now engaged in special prayers for fear that the rains might come again. When this magazine visited Yola south, Fufore, Mayo Belwa and Song, some of the affected local government areas, the pathetic picture of families packing their few belongings that were saved from the havoc the rain had brought on them was overwhelming.       

Flood situation has over the years become a recurring problem and residents of the areas are pleading with the Adamawa state government to come to their aid. A victim of the flood in Chigari, who craved anonymity, blamed the government for being nonchalant towards their sufferings.         “We have become used to this recurring flood problem and the most painful aspect of this is the neglect we receive from the government. They treat us as if we do not belong to Adamawa State. They simply don't think about us and this is sad,” he said.   

As the state government officials continued to visit some of the affected areas, the residents see that as another of the many promises that have been made over the years.       

 For now the people of the state continue to sleep with an eye open for the fear of heavy downpour and the fear of the dare-devil bandits who have been terrorizing the state.  

Meanwhile, residents of the ancient town of Garkida have been cut off from Gombi town after a heavy downpour that lasted over six hours resulting in the collapse  of the 36-year old bridge that linked the town to the outside world. The Pircasa Bridge which has been a symbol unity has given way finally. Newsworld gathered that each time rain washed away part of the bridge, Gombi local government council and the community helped to repair it.

The district head of Gombi, Alhaji Shuaibu Barde told Newsworld that the collapsing bridge occurs every year but this year's incident has gone beyond imagination. He added that the community, in conjunction with the Gombi L.G council has been repairing the bridge each time it gives way and commended the quick intervention of the council.

Alhaji Barde appealed to the state and federal governments to construct a new bridge adding that the collapsed bridge was constructed over thirty six years ago.  The traditional ruler further said, the measures so far taken by Gombi local government are temporary because it cannot stand the pressure of heavy duty vehicles.

The collapsed Pircasa Bridge has brought untold hardship to the people of Garkida as they have to rely on a group of youths that are taking advantage of the situation to make quick money by charging exorbitant rates for motorists to cross the river.

 Newsworld learnt from the neighbouring Taraba State that, farmlands and domestic animals were washed away by flood in the southern part of the state as torrential rains continued to wreak havoc.