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Humanitarian Minister wants sign language to be adopted as alternative means of communication
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Sadiya Umar Farouq has urged the National Commission for disability to adopt the sign language as alternative means of communication.
Special Adviser on media to the minister Nneka IKem Anibeze quoted the minister to have made the remark at the National Summit of Persons With Disabilities held in Abuja on Thursday.
While formally launching the First Edition of the National Sign Language Dictionary, Umar Farouq stated that the Dictionary will provide a harmonized and consistent understanding of signs for Persons with Disabilities, especially the Deaf, in Nigeria.
“I am pleased that the Commission has developed a National Sign Language Dictionary for Nigerians who use signing as a first language.
“As we work towards creating an inclusive environment for persons with disabilities, I encourage others to enhance their communication skills by learning and adopting sign language as an alternative means of communication.
“I further recommend and invite heads of MDAs to utilise the services provided by the Commission, especially the braille translation facility, to ensure that all Government policies and programmes are accessible for the blind”.
The Minister, who also co-launched a Disability Registration and Reporting system application, a 5-year Strategic Plan of the Commission from 2022 to 2026, an accessible website for the Commission, distribution and presentation of the National Disability Certificate in compliance with section 22 of the Disability Act, flight-friendly access at all Nigerian airports and the first ever National Health Insurance Scheme for the first 600 beneficiaries with the representative of the President and Minister of Special Duties Senator George Akume, said that the Commission is implementing strategies to assist Persons with Disabilities in the country.
She noted that President Muhammadu Buhari remains the first and only President to have elevated the disability community to federal appointments.
“With one million PWDs in our NASSCO database, we presently provide about 115,000 with monthly stipends. Additionally, I approved the enrolment of 40,000 persons with disabilities into the batch C stream of the N-Power and through the GEEP programme, over 500 PWDs received their Point of Sale machines and seed money and have since commenced their businesses.
“ These strategies are aimed at providing access, inclusion and effective communication in mediums available and understood by Persons With Disabilities to broaden their knowledge and reduce their risk to shocks”.
Umar Farouq thanked the Inspector General of Police for approving the establishment of Disability Desks in all police formations across the federation to manage and minimize discrimination against persons with disability in the country and apply relevant punitive measures to curtail violence against the Disability community.
She also thanked the Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Disability, Hon. Princess Miriam Onuaha for moving a motion for the domestication of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which provides a global perspective to the National Disability Act.
Among the dignitaries who celebrated the International Day of Persons with Disabilities with the Commission are the Minister of Women Affairs Dame Pauline Tallen, Representative of the Emir of Gusau, the Founder of Kpakpando Foundation Senator Osita Izunaso, former governor of Nasarawa state and Chairman Senate Committee on Solid Minerals, Senator Umaru Tanko Al- Makura, Chairman of the Governing Council Dr Hussaini Suleiman Kangiwa, representatives from ECOWAS, the Governing Council of the Commission for PWDs, Sight Savers Foundation and many members of the PWD community.
By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse
Jigawa and Kano states have been ranked topmost among the 36 States of the Federation with higher number of Tobacco smokers.
The senior programmes officer of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre ( CISLAC), Mr Solomon Adoga disclosed this in his speech presented at a high level stakeholders engagement that focused more on how state governments can adopt some National Framework for Tobacco control held on Wednesday at th 3 star hotel, Dutse.
Adoga pointed out that CISLAC in patnership with support of Tax Justice Network organized a sponsored multi-stakeholders engagement on Tobacco taxation in Jigawa with the aim of reducing Tobacco usage because it is inimical to health.
According to him “it’s unfortunate that research has shown that Kano/Jigawa are on top of the list of states that use Tobacco in Nigeria, while majority of users are the youths and some with minor age”.
He explained that, “to control use of Tobacco it is of Paramount that Jigawa state government adopt and domesticate National Tobacco control Act (2015) and Tobacco Tax Policy to save lives of the youth who are future leaders in our states.l
Adoga added that “Some of the laws that need to be adopted include ban on sale of cigarettes single stick, prohibition of smoking in public places and sale of Tobacco to minors (under eighteen years old) in the state”
The senior programmes officer indicated that the purpose of engaging and interacting with relevant stakeholders like traditional/ religious leaders, youth groups, civil society organisations and media is to help in creating awareness on the dangers of Tobacco as well as to advocate for both legislature and the executive to domesticate and adopt the laws.
Solomon urged the participants to support the moves by amplifying the campaign with their voices to achieve the desired goal for better future and development of the state to save thousands of lives of the teeming youths.
***Says Media Trial Tantamount To Disregard For Rule Of Law
By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
A Legal Practitioner and former Spokesman to Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar
Daniel Bwala has faulted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over what he termed Disregard for Rule of Law and Media Trial of former governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi.
Bwala who made the remarks while fielding questions from newsmen in an interview on Wednesday bared his mind on the judicial relevance of the utterances of Ola Olukoyede, EFCC Chairman, at his Tuesday press conference.
The EFCC is seeking to arrest, detain and prosecute former governor Yahaya Bello over sundry allegations bordering financial fraud amounting to over N80.2 billion.
The Lawyer and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria said, “What he did and everything he said during the news conference has no consequential effect in the court of law, even if the media go out and conclude that Yahaya Bello has committed those crimes.
“The EFCC chairman knows that in criminal trial, the prosecution has the burden of proof to prove the element of the offenses in the charge.
“The standard of proof is beyond reasonable doubt. And what you need to establish that are cogent and compelling evidence should be done in the courtroom.
“That is the very reason why people can conclude by his media briefing that he actually does not want to prosecute the Yahaya Bello.
“Again,by what he did yesterday, he has given materials to Bello to use against him in the court of law.
“We don’t even want to bring the politics of it. Bello can come out and say, since he has called me personally, then | want to tell the world that he has actually asked me for money.”
According to Bwala, Bello is still at large and yet to present himself on grounds that he has a Kogi High Court Injunction restraining the EFCC from persecuting or charging or arresting him.
He said that the Federal High Court on Tuesday had fixed May 20, to rule on the argument of the bench warrant of arrest issued to EFCC on Bello .
“The import of what transpired in court based on this fact now is that it is superfluous for EFCC to be looking for Yahaya Bello. EFCC is just to wait and come that day to hear the ruling .
“If it does not, then Bello, on that day, in any case, will appear before the court and now be arraigned before the court.
“Now, what it means is that any day after that yesterday, any effort by EFCC to attempt to arrest the Bello will amount to violating the due process of law.
“This is because where parties have submitted to the jurisdiction of the court, they have to allow the court to run proceedings, and therefore they cannot run the proceedings for the court.
“These are matters of law. These are matters that at least new entrants in the legal department of EFCC ought to know. So the question now is, what is EFCC trying to achieve?
“I gave a good example. Yahaya Bello has an order that has not been set aside. The order says that he should not be arrested, he should not be prosecuted. The EFCC does not believe that that order should be sustained.
“The EFCC challenged that order. That challenge has not been determined by court. Now, attempting to arrest him when that has not been determined is violation of the rule of law.
“They also have another order to arrest him. And that order to arrest him has now been brought before a court in which counter-argument was made and court adjourned for ruling. What is the import of that? So you have coalition of judicial voices.
“And these courts that have given the various orders are courts of coordinated jurisdiction, which each other’s decision does not bind the other. So we are not even going into the administration of the federal high court as to how do you deal with this kind of conflicting order.
“All these orders are valid and subsisting until they are set aside. But you see, all of them have been overtaken by event because before this court, it has been adjourned for ruling, ” Bwala said. (Ends)
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has clinched the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket as the candidate of the party for the forthcoming November 16 governorship election in the state by sefeating fifteen other aspirants in a landslide victory
The Chairman of the Governorship Primary Election Committee and Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo, made the declaration on Monday morning in Akure, the state capital.
Ododo said Aiyedatiwa clinched the APC ticket with a total of 48,569 votes followed by his closest rival, Mayowa Akinfolarin, who trailed behind with 15,343 votes, while Chief Olusola Oke secured the third position with 14,865 votes.
Below is a breakdown of the final results of the election.
Total number of voters – 117922
Total number of accredited voters – 95,178
Total votes cast – 95178
Invalid – Nil
Jimi Odimayo – 490
Omogoroye Judith – 115
Lucky Aiyedatiwa – 48,569
Isaacs Kekemeke – 1045
Soji Ehinlanwo – 492
Olugbenga Edema – 395
Jimoh lbrahim – 9456
Adekojo Funmilayo – 529
Akinfolarin Samuel – – 15343
Wale Akinterinwa – 1952
Olusola Oke – 14,915
Olamide Ohunyeye – 424
Morayo Lebi – 290
Diran lyantan – 348
Prof Dayo Faduyile – 353
Ife Oyedele – 462
1: Ilaje LG
Lucky Aiyedatiwa 2,485
Wale Akinterinwa. 26
Olusola Oke. 2,511
Jimoh Ibrahim 589
2: Ile Oluji/Okeigbo
Jimoh Ibrahim: 282
AIYEDATIWA: 1225
WA: 474
3: Ondo West LG
Jimoh Ibrahim: 2668
Aiyedatiwa: 10610
4: Ese Odo LG
Aiyedatiwa – 298
Akinterinwa – 0
Oke – 147
Jimoh Ibrahim – 174
5: Owo LG
Aiyedatiwa – 2,123
Akinterinwa – 345
Oke – 225
Jimoh Ibrahim – 192
6: Idanre LG
Aiyedatiwa – 1, 579
Akinterinwa – 119
Oke – 225
Jimoh Ibrahim – 120
7: AKOKO NORTH EAST LG
Aiyedatiwa 1, 664
Akinterinwa 135
Oke 138
Jimoh Ibrahim 505
8: AKOKO NORTH WEST LG
Aiyedatiwa 5, 430
Akinterinwa 198
Oke 2, 721
Jimoh Ibrahim 728
9: AKOKO SOUTH EAST LG
Aiyedatiwa 2, 533
Akinterinwa 43
Oke 391
Jimoh Ibrahim 67
10: AKOKO SOUTH WEST LG
Aiyedatiwa – 2, 747
Akinterinwa – 272
Oke – 415
Jimoh Ibrahim – 466
11: No results for IFEDORE LGA due to alleged violence
12: OSE LGA
Aiyedatiwa 1, 091
Akinterinwa 39
Oke 800
Jimoh Ibrahim 267
13: IRELE LG
Aiyedatiwa 1, 203
Akinterinwa 15
Oke 93
Jimoh Ibrahim 139
14: ODIGBO LG
Aiyedatiwa 2, 631
Akinterinwa 114
Oke 138
Jimoh Ibrahim 845
15: AKURE NORTH LG
Aiyedatiwa 2, 860
Akinterinwa 177
Oke 1, 239
Jimoh Ibrahim 1, 606
16: AKURE SOUTH LG
Aiyedatiwa 3, 265
Akinterinwa 86
Oke 328
Jimoh Ibrahim 294
17 OKITIPUPA LG
Aiyedatiwa 1, 622
Akinterinwa 27
Oke 1, 571
Jimoh Ibrahim 109
18: ONDO EAST LG
Aiyedatiwa 4, 803
Akinterinwa 141
Oke 1, 171
Jimoh Ibrahim 406
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