Kudos to the Lagos State legislature as it passes a Disability Bill, probably the first of its kind in Nigeria.
Lagos building owners or ‘landlords’ must make their facilities accessible to people living with disabilities within five years, or be subject to a 5000Naira fine payable to the person on daily basis.
The question is how is disability defined, and who qualifies under this bill? Unfortunately, media report fails to provide clarity. Continue reading…
Another ghastly but preventable road traffic mishap in Nigeria. Excerpts from AllAfrica.com:
The people of Ondo State have continued to mourn the death of about 42 pupils including teachers of Arisent Nursery and Primary School Ore in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, last Wednesday night in a ghastly motor accident along Ondo/Ore road.
The unfortunate incident occurred at about 8.15pm when the pupils and the teachers of the Islamic School were returning from an excursion to Idanre hill. The school bus conveying the pupils and some staff of the school had a head on collision with a trailer due to the ray of the light of the trailer that distracted the driver of the ill-fated bus.
Some questions needing answers Continue reading…
It is now clear that the violence-igniting problem in JOS is far from solved. Not after more than 500 were killed again over the weekend in what appeared a sequel to an equally bloody incident in January.
The common denominator in the Jos crisis — as in most sectarian crises in Nigeria — is traceable to the deep inequalities in the society. The elements of religion and geography are just mere facilitators in the conflict. Continue reading…
Nigerian Security Forces Lie Unarmed Civilians On The Ground & Shoot Them At Close Range!
The late fire-brand human and civil rights crusader and lawyer, Gani Fawehinmi, could have lived a life of absolute luxury free of the dozens of arrest and detention he suffered, fighting for the common good. But he took and walked the rough path, unflinching and determined.
Read a narrative of his prison experience in Gashua, in northern Nigeria, where he was imprisoned for 121 days in 1989:
Who reasonably passes as Nigeria’s own version of the American icon, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., died some hours ago, at age 71. Chief Gani Fawehinmi [ganifawehinmi.com], the most prominent human and civil rights advocate Nigerian has ever had, died from complications of lung cancer.
An indefatigable critic of military dictatorship and corruption, in the process of his crusades for the rule of law, the hopes and aspirations of the poor and the oppressed, he fought many battles against military dictatorship as a result of which he had been arrested several times by the military governments and its numerous security agents. He was dumped in many police cells and detained in several prisons between 1969 and 1996.
In 1993 Fawehinmi was awarded the biennial Bruno Kreisky Prize. This prize, named in honour of Bruno Kreisky, is awarded to international figures who advance human rights causes. In 1998, he received the International Bar Association’s Bernard Simmons Award in recognition of his human-rights and pro-democracy work. In 1994 he and some other notable Nigerians formed the National Conscience Party of Nigeria which exists till today and he stood for a presidential election in 2003 under the umbrella of the National Conscience Party.
Gani Fawehinmi became a holder of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) the highest legal title in Nigeria in September, 2001.
More online:
http://www.ganifawehinmi.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gani_Fawehinmi
In its task of rebranding Nigeria, the Dora Akunyili’s federal information and communication ministry is sampling the opinions of Nigerians on governance.
Updates from AfricanLoft