Implement five percent jobs for people with disabilities, group urges FG

The Nigerian Association of the Blind has called on the Federal Government to implement the employment of 5% of persons with disabilities in public institutions.

The association also urged ministries, departments and agencies at all levels to ensure inclusiveness and inclusiveness in their programs and policies.

In a press release signed by its president, the Federal Capital Territory Chapter, Agada Aguda, and made available to our correspondent on Friday, the association said people with disabilities were being denied equality chances to earn a living.

The statement reads in part as follows: "Between September 2020 and August 2021, the Nigerian Association of the Blind, FCT Chapter, embarked on a project titled: 'Accessibility of formal employment for people with disabilities in the FCT". The project, which featured people with other types of disabilities, was supported by an international non-governmental organization, the Disability Rights Fund.

“The project aimed to promote the implementation of the Disability Discrimination (Prohibition) Act 2018 (the Disability Rights Act), in particular section 29 of the law that obliges all employers of labor in public institutions to have at least five percent of disabled people in their employment During the implementation of the project, the association carried out advocacy activities with of four ministries, departments and agencies of the federal government and the FCT Organizations include the Federal Capital Territory Administration, the Federal Civil Service Commission, the National Directorate of Employment and the Vocational Training Institute FCT.

“These agencies are committed to ensuring that disability is taken into account in their policies and programs. While the FCSC (a federal government agency responsible for recruiting labor for the government) informed the association at the time of the facts of the existence of the federal government embargo on employment and that she could do little or nothing until the embargo was lifted, other organizations (the NDE, the FCT Vocational and Training Institute and the FCTA) promised inclusiveness in their policies and programs.

“Shortly after the project closed, the NDE asked the association to submit 74 names of people with disabilities for a three-month training with stipends. The association selected two people from each state in the federation, including the FCT, and across the disability clusters. The training was extended for another three months; the program therefore lasted a total of six months.

"As part of the association's efforts to continuously support the campaign, it has decided to make follow-up visits to responsible agencies and has sought approval from its sponsors. The association has written to agencies to request courtesy visits. Unfortunately, of the four agencies, only the FCSC responded to its letter stating that the follow-up visit was not necessary since the federal government had not yet lifted the embargo on the job.

“We call on ministries, departments and agencies at all levels of government to, as a matter of priority, ensure inclusiveness and inclusivity in their programs and policies. Persons with disabilities are still denied equal opportunities. chance to earn a living.The Federal Road Safety Corps' latest recruiting exercise was a testament to the grim reality when the commission blatantly stated in the notice of call for applications that persons with disabilities were not eligible to apply.

“At the federal level, we call on the Secretary of the Federation Government to intervene urgently to put an end to the madness – eradicating non-inclusive recruitment policies. We urge him to use his good offices to ensure the implementation of the five percent disability quota in all public institutions, as the embargo on employment has been lifted."

Please share this story: