The National Union of Organizations of the Disabled (NUOD) has congratulated President Joseph Nyuma Boakai for appointment of a visually impaired (blind) person, Mr. Noah Zawu Gibson, as Deputy Managing Director of the National Transit Authority (NTA)—the Government-owned public commercial buses entity.
By: Samuel G. Dweh—Freelance Human Rights Journalist
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NUOD is an umbrella organization for organizations of persons living with disabilities (hearing impaired, wheel-chair bound, visually impaired (blind), etc.
However, NUOD is calling President Boakai’s attention to employment of academically qualified disabled persons into various Government’s Ministries and Agencies.
The leadership of NUOD called the President’s attention during a Press Conference held at the Union’s Head Office, Cheeseman Avenue, 9th Street, Sinkor, Monrovia.
“This Press Conference is aimed at calling President Boakai’s attention to some key issues relating to employment of academically qualified and competent persons in Liberia’s community of persons with disabilities,” NUOD’s Vice President for Administration, Mr. Melvin Harding (visually impaired and with the right hand halved from the wrist) hinted the gathered Journalists of what the meeting would be.
The Press Conference was held on Tuesday, February 27, 2024.
“First, we want to use this medium to send our message of profound gratitude and appreciation to the President of the Republic of Liberia, His Excellency Ambassador Joseph Nyumah Boakai, for the appointment of Mr. Noah Zawu Gibson, a visually impaired person, as Deputy Managing Director of the National Transit Authority,” NUOD’s President (visually impaired) Pastor Peter B. K. Flomo said, reading NUOD’s Press Release on a Braille (visually impaired person’s alphabetical text)
The rest of the Press Release focused on NUOD’s recommendations to Head of State Boakai on pulling academically and professionally qualified members of the PWD community out of the abyss of unemployment.
NUOD presented nine recommendations. They are: appointment of three new, different persons to the National Commission on Disabilities (NCD); appointment of PWDs into the Special and Inclusive Education Bureau of the Ministry of Education; Rehabilitation Division of the Ministry of Gender, Children & Social Protection; a Disability Advisor to the Office of the President of the Republic; a Sign Language Interpreter in the Office of the President of the Republic; representation of the Disabled Community by three persons on the Board of the National Lottery Authority as reflected in Section 8 of the Legislative Act that established the National Commission on Disabilities (NCD); appointment of all persons with disabilities into Government Ministries and Agencies should be done in consultation with NUOD, in accordance with Article 4 and Section 3 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; the Judicial and Legislative Branches of Government should ensure that their leadership structures should be inclusive of the community of persons with disabilities and that other Ministries and Agencies of Government, including the private sector, should employ 4% of qualified persons with disabilities; all local and International NGOs’ disabled persons-focused projects should have 80% trickle-down effects on the lives of persons with disabilities.
The last paragraph of the Press Release states: “Moreover, as per the Act of the National Legislature establishing the National Commission on Disabilities, all of these recommendations should be taken into consideration in the shortest possible time consistent with the Universal Motto of the United Nations’ Sustainable Goals: Leave No One Behind”
“All qualified persons with disabilities should bring their CVs to NUOD’s Office on 9th Street, Sinkor, as we lobby with the Government for subsequent employment and or appointment by the President of the Republic,” NUOD’s President, Pastor Peter B. K. Flomo made a clarion call.
At the end of reading of the Press Release, some of the invited Journalists posed questions about majority of disabled persons’ automatic disqualifications for employment, against the NUOD Leadership’s advocacy, based their “low-class” academic statuses.
“We are advocating for disabled persons who have at least A.A Degree or Bachelor of Arts Degrees for employment. NUOD is not advocating for persons with 12th grade certificates or those in the 9th grade,” NUOD’s President clarified.
Another Journalist requested NUOD’s use of its share of the budgetary allotment from the Government of President George Manneh Weah.
In response, the NUOD President admitted that the George Weah-led Government gave financial supports, at different times, to the entire Liberian disabled community, through the National Commission on Disabilities, but the female Executive Director, a member of the disabled community, excluded NUOD.
Joshua S. Gargar, an official of NUOD, served as the Sign Language Interpreter for hearing impaired (deaf) persons at the Press Conference.
