3 years after, Obiano establishes disability rights commission

The Anambra State governor, Chief Willie Obiano, Friday, established and constituted membership of Disability Rights commission Board, an agency provided by and for full implementation of the state 2018 Disability Rights Law.

The law which had been in existence since 2018, by constitution of the commission, has outlawed all kinds of discriminations against People With Disabilities (PWDs) as well as provided for their full inclusion in governance and policy making including all rights enjoyed by people without disabilities.

Obiano announced this at an interactive session with the media organised by the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) in collaboration with the office of governor on Disability Matters and the Anambra State Ministry of Women and Children Affairs in commemoration of the 2021 International Day for Persons with Disabilities

The governor, represented by his Special Adviser on Disability Matters, Barr. Chuka Ezewuzie, who incidentally is to head the Disability Rights Commission Board as Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), added that nine other members of the commission as enshrined in section 4 (1) of the Anambra State 2018 Disability Rights Law were representatives of JONAPWD, Civil Society Organisations (CSO), Private Sector, Religious bodies, and Ministries of Youth, Education, Justice, , Women Affairs, and Sports.

According to him, the commission had been mandated to start working immediately with a view to ensuring a better society for disability community in Anambra state, as well as to serve as example to other states of the federation.

Responding, the Anambra State Chairman of JONAPWD, Comrade Ugochukwu Okeke, praised the governor for fulfilling his promise of gifting disability community a commission before the end of his tenure, adding that the gesture coincided with the 2021 theme for the international day for persons disabilities which was ‘leadership and participation of persons with disabilities towards an inclusive, accessible and sustainable COVID-19 world.’

“I urge all Anambra State residents to compliment the good efforts of the state government that promoted the transformation of issues of persons with disabilities in Anambra State from the subject of charity to the object of rights by contributing their qouta to the full implementation of the Anambra State Disability Rights Law 2018 in order to increase accessibility and inclusion for persons with disabilities by dismantling legal, social, economic and other barriers with our active involvement and representation in every developmental processes in this state,” he added.

Also speaking, some members of disability communities in the state including Miss Ncheta Nwanokwara, Miss Chidimma Ajemba, and Comrade Amobi Nwagu, further commended the governor for employing over 230 of their members, provision of disability friendly infrastructure, among other things, and implored the governor-elect, Prof. Charles Soludo, to do more.

Earlier, the Anambra State Coordinator, Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme, Mrs Josephine Onah, whose organisation had sponsored JONAPWD in various capacities, said they would not relent in supporting the agency to achieve a disability friendly Anambra.