Bukola Afeni
The Joint National Association of People Living with Disability (JONAPWD) has cautioned individuals as well as some organisations against the use of their trademark for malicious intent.
The body in a statement jointly signed by the National President, Mr Abudullahi Usman Aliyu, and other officials of the the group called on all individuals who are planning on using the name of the group to enrich themselves to desist from doing so in order not to be penalized.
The group also advised the public against the infringement, abuse or misuse of its name and logo in any formal/informal medium or form.
“The name JONAPWD and its logo is a registered trademark of the Association under the Companies and Allied Matters Act of 1991. As such, any usage of this trademark by members of the public requires a written and signed consent by the National President through the National Secretariat which is headed by the Executive Director.”
“The group reserves its right to take actions against such infringement and misuse of its name and logo. Any entity infringing, abusing or misusing JONAPWD’s name and logo in any medium or form is hereby advised to stop doing so immediately.”
The group is also concerned about several uncoordinated and unregulated activities with its instituted structures across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“Our recent analysis has revealed that amongst other factors, the aforementioned trend has detrimental consequences against the pursuit of JONAPWD’s core mandates. It strongly hinders JONAPWD’s ability to robustly articulate its annual programmes and financial performances, defaces the actualities about how JONAPWD is performing, and how it plans to improve its national interventions.”
“We would also like to advise all duty bearers and right holders (private, public and development partners) against subscribing to interventions initiated by any legal or illegal entity that claims it has been authorized or licensed by JONAPWD to embark on any project or programme. Such alignments escalate associated risks militating against projected outcomes, cum its long-term positive impacts in the disability communities”.
The management said the group is determined to sustain effective intergroup actions directed at conflict prevention and reduction.
” Conflict is inevitable, but it does not define us. Our current structural efforts are geared to increase dialogue among groups and to share information.”
