By Dada Ahmed in Lokoja.
The Programmes Lead, TAF Africa, Mr.Olayemi Samuel, has urged journalists in Kogi State to step up effort towards escalating inclusive reportage for the people with disabilities, PWDs in the state.
He gave the advice on Tuesday when he led other officials of the NGO on a courtesy visit to the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, State Council in Lokoja, North Central Nigeria, Alhaji Adeiza MomohJimoh.
The programmes lead said the advice became imperative to because of the low level of reportage of the plight of PWDS and the need shore up awareness on them and strengthen their inclusiveness in governance among others issues.
According to him, there is the need for the journalists to dwell more on the need for the society to assist PWDs create access various rights assigned to them by the constitution to cast their votes during election without hinderance.
Samuel, who said that the NGO is charged with the responsibility of championing the cause and rights of PWDs, called on the council to establish a Disability Desk for the collection and dissemination of information about PWDs to the government and other institutions in the state for prompt attention.
He noted that there were many PWDs with great potential with zeal to contribute to the social, economic and political development of the society but had no access to the enabling environment to energize them fulfill their ambtion.
The journalists, Samuel added, needed to help this segment of the population, through investigative and inclusive reportage by highlighting their problems to the members of public and private sector of the economy for lasting solution.
He said that irrespective of the provision of the constitution which enunciates the rights of PWDs in the scheme of things, experience showed low reportage of the world of this class of Nigerians, coupled with the use of complimentary language on them used, such as “cripple”in the media.
This development , he said, killed the morale of many PWDs who would have used their ttalent to contribute to the development of the society.
According to him, TAF Africa is also collaborating with other network organizations, such as INEC in the country to increase awareness on the need to include PWDs in the electioneering process of Nigeria in line with the electoral law.
He called for the collaboration of kogi journalists to assist the NGO achieve its aims and objectives.
Responding, MomohJimoh commended the NGO for accomplishing its task with success stories and promised the commitment of his members in collaborating with TAF Africa the tasks.
He called on other organizations, such as INEC to join the NGO in the concerted efforts to ensure increased inclusion of PWDs in the electoral process and other aspects of national development to enable them exercise their civic responsibility for the country.
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