Employment: People With Disability Picket NIMASA Over Neglect

BY OLAKUNLE AWONIYI, ABUJA – Members of the association which picketed NIMASA office in Abuja noted that in spite of the agreement that people with disability should be given five percent slot in employment opportunity, NIMASA has refused to comply.

This was as the association called on President Muhammadu Buhari to come to their aid by directing the management of NIMASA to comply with the federal government policy on employment of people with disability.

President of the association, Mr. Saifullahi Muktar told journalists shortly after the picketing that NIMASA has neglected his members for too long as if it is not an agency of government, adding that the high level of discrimination against people with disability by NIMASA is getting out of hand.

Muktar said that the association has written series of letters to the NIMASA management without a response, adding that this was in spite of the agreement at the last meeting with the agency during which it promised to look into their matter concerning their employment.

In the words of Muktar; “Nothing has come out from the management. We met with the management on several occasions when they were recruiting and we called on them to comply with the section of the law that stipulates that all persons with disabilities should be given at least five percent allocation of job slots into each federal government agencies and parastatal but NIMASA has refused to respond.

He said that owing to the high level of discrimination, the association has invited its member from the 36 states to come and register their presence at NIMASA office.

They demanded for the Director General of NIMASA to come and talk with them, saying that they are also citizens of Nigeria.

Muktar said that NIMASA collected their CVs more than a year ago and had recruited two times within the period with no slot for people with disability, stressing that most of them are graduates and with good grades to gain employment but they are ignored because of disabilities. He further said; “We are not beggars but here to call for our rights. NIMASA management has ignored us for several hours outside their office simply because we have disabilities.

Efforts by journalists to get to the management of NIMASA to speak on the matter proved abortive as curious reporters were directed from one office to the other with the final word that the coordinator was not around.