REPORTER: AMAECHI ODO
Persons with Disabilities in Ebonyi State have called on Governor Francis Nwifuru to assent to the Bill establishing a Commission that will address the issue of social and economic discrimination facing them in the state.
They made the call at an event to mark this year’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities held at Women Development Centre Abakaliki
Correspondent Amechi Odo reports that each Person living with Disability who attended the event went home with two hundred thousand Naira grant doled out under Renewed Hope Initiative Economic Empowerment Programme.
The International Day of Persons with Disabilities is a day set aside by the United Nations to create global awareness on the need to promote inclusion and reaffirm the dignity of over One billion, three hundred million Persons living with various disabilities across the world.
State Chairman, Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities, Mr Franklin Odumegwu explained that his members were facing a lot of discrimination in the state especially in the area of government employment and access to healthcare.
He emphasized that the Bill establishing a Commission for Persons with Disabilities, if signed into Law would address the problem surrounding social inclusion as lack of care for his members was responsible for the increasing number of street beggars in Abakaliki.
The Coordinator of Persons with Disabilities, Ebonyi State Central, Comrade Ifeanyi Nwokporo emphasized that when established the Commission for Persons with Disabilities would roll out programmes that would mitigate the plight of his members especially those having poor access to health care in the rural areas.
As part of efforts to alleviate the sufferings of Persons with Disabilities , the Wife of the President, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu represented by the Wife of the State Governor, Mrs Mary Maudline Nwifuru said the two hundred thousand Naira grant and a bag of rice were for each of the two hundred and fifty Persons with disabilities captured under the initiative in the state while the fund was for business recapitalization.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Felicia Nwankpuma who represented the Wife of the Governor at the event said the State government was committed to ensuring holistic inclusion of Persons with Disabilities into social safety nets of the People’s Charter of Needs.
Over two hundred Persons with Disabilities attended the event.
