Metro

Over 500 Nigerien street beggars repatriated from Senegal

Published

2 years ago

March 27, 2022

The government of Niger, on Saturday, said it has received 530 of its citizens mainly made up of women and children who lived on begging from Senegal.

The repatriated Nigeriens arrived in Niamey on Friday on a special flight chartered by the Nigerien government. They were welcomed by Interior Minister Hamadou Souley Adamou.

“The image of our country is dragged in the mud, that’s why the government wants to take this phenomenon in hand”, said the Nigerien Minister of Interior, Hamadou Adamou Souley.

Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum had called a meeting earlier this week “on the phenomenon of begging”.

“The government of the Republic of Niger has learned with amazement the presence in the streets of Dakar, Senegal, of several hundred Nigerien nationals engaged in begging,” said government spokesman Tidjani Idrissa Abdoulkadri in a statement read out on public television on Tuesday.

“This is an illicit traffic in migrants and human trafficking organized by criminal groups in the direction of certain neighboring countries and even beyond,” he said.

One of the returnees as they got off the plane, Ousmane Issoufou said “no one will go begging if they have the means to live in better conditions. Begging is not a good thing,”

Niger is a country ravaged by lots of humanitarian crises. Food insecurity, terrorism, drought amongst others. Many Nigeriens flee their country-home to search for greener pastures in neighbouring countries like Nigeria and Senegal.

Metro

Sign language interpreter, Kunda, seeks inclusivity in media rights agenda

Published

13 hours ago

April 23, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

An inclusive society is crucial for a nation’s human and economic development in the modern era.

In this edition of Project Aliyense, we feature Paul Kunda, widely recognized as the face of sign language interpretation on national television, serving the deaf community.

Kunda, a dedicated sign language interpreter and educator with over four years of experience, sheds light on the significance of media freedom.

“As a sign language interpreter at Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) and a teacher by profession, I advocate for media freedom,” he said.

Kunda emphasised the importance of the Access to Information (ATI) Act, recently assented to by President Hakainde Hichilema, which empowered citizens to demand information freely.

He stressed the need for unhindered access to information to foster a civil and prosperous society.

Regarding digital rights, Kunda highlighted their critical role for the deaf community, given the transformative impact of digital platforms, especially when mainstream media access is limited.

“As a representative of the deaf community, I believe digital rights should be inclusive. Everyone, including persons with disabilities, should enjoy these rights through various devices to express themselves and participate in national discourse,” he asserted.

He also called for the recognition of sign language as the eighth national language, aligning with United Nations conventions that mandate sign language interpreters at all events to promote inclusivity.

This story is sponsored content from Zambia Monitor’s Project Aliyense.

Metro

Sign language interpreter, Kunda, seeks inclusivity in media rights agenda (video)

Published

14 hours ago

April 23, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

An inclusive society is crucial for a nation’s human and economic development in the modern era.

In this edition of Project Aliyense, we feature Paul Kunda, widely recognized as the face of sign language interpretation on national television, serving the deaf community.

Kunda, a dedicated sign language interpreter and educator with over four years of experience, sheds light on the significance of media freedom.

“As a sign language interpreter at Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) and a teacher by profession, I advocate for media freedom,” he said.

Kunda emphasised the importance of the Access to Information (ATI) Act, recently assented to by President Hakainde Hichilema, which empowered citizens to demand information freely.

He stressed the need for unhindered access to information to foster a civil and prosperous society.

Regarding digital rights, Kunda highlighted their critical role for the deaf community, given the transformative impact of digital platforms, especially when mainstream media access is limited.

This story is sponsored content from Zambia Monitor’s Project Aliyense.