A twenty-eight-year-old
physically-impaired Lagos-based on-air personality, Trust Shawn-Inonse, has lamented over the introduction of the new naira notes to the Nigerian economy.
Trust Shawn -Inonse who currently serves as Chief Editor with a Lagos-based radio station told The Punch in an interview that the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele never considered the physically impaired people when he was planning a change on the new notes.
“Now, there is a new naira note. Did the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, think about how blind people will be able to identify currencies? He never gave it a thought.” He stated
Shawn- Inonse went further to say that he believes the CBN governor will be shocked with his revelation on the new notes;
“I am sure he will be shocked when he reads this because he never even gave it any thought.” He added.
Speaking with the interviewer, Godfrey George, the OAP expressed his disappointment on how himself and other PWDs (People Living with Disabilities) have been coping with different government policies that do not favour them.
He noted that being blind is terrible enough, to still have to cope with un implemented polices, bad and traffic- laden roads, bad rails and bridges.
“It is terrible being blind and living in Nigeria. Being blind is bad enough but it is disastrous to be blind and live in this country. When I see how things are made easy for people in other parts of the world, I begin to wonder why my own life cannot be like that.
“The Nigerian environment does not allow PWDs (People Living with Disabilities) to thrive. I am not a fan of giving handouts to PWDs but they should allow us to live life. Nigeria will never make that happen. There are policies but they are never implemented.
“Take a look at Lagos roads, for example, where I go every day. I spend about six or seven hours every day just to get to work. The roads are terrible. Look at the pedestrian bridges; people just drop things anyhow, not minding that we have blind people who may use that same bridge. Some of the rails are broken. There is no thought process to ask how PWDs will manage.”
Mr. Shawn-Inonse, while reeling out other challenges he faces on Nigerian roads on a daily basis said the government is expected to help him and others with similar condition with a Braille pad or display or an original talking software which could help them navigate roads; further noting that there is a Disability Act which sadly ends on paper.
“PWDs need the power to move on the streets, but how many streets have streetlights? In Lagos, for instance, they have banned motorcycles. Before the ban, I can stop an okada and tell him the particular number to drop me and he will take me there. But now, buses stop at designated bus stops and I will begin to struggle to locate my street and my home. It is terrible.
“They don’t even consider us at all. Look at the pedestrian bridge at Oshodi, there is no handle. If a blind person who is not familiar with that bridge attempts to climb that bridge, he will fall off, and that will be a tragedy. It is so expensive to live in this country as a PWD, to be honest, and it is frustrating. To get a Braille pad or display or an original talking software is very expensive, what has the government done about this? There is supposed to be a Disability Act but it ends on paper.” He said.
Credit: The Punch
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