JONAPWD Urges Mayor, Stakeholders To Prioritize Welfare Of Persons With Disabilities in Njikoka
Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
The Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities (JONAPWD), Anambra State Chapter, has urged the Mayor of Njikoka Local Government Area, Barr. Chinedu Ononiba, to make budgetary provision for the welfare and inclusion of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in the council area.
The call was made on Tuesday during a Community Sensitization on Disability Rights and Response Mechanisms in Anambra State held in Nimo, Njikoka LGA. The event is part of the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC II) Programme, funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA).
Speaking at the event, the Anambra State JONAPWD Chairman, Comrade Ugochukwu Okeke, appealed to Mayors to make budgetary provision at the local government level to accommodate the needs and welfare of persons with disabilities in the area.
According to him, “The 2018 Anambra State Disability Rights Law is not just a document. It is a covenant between government, irrespective of level, and citizens to end exclusion.”
He continued, “We don’t want the law to remain on paper while our people continue to suffer. Budget lines must be created at the LGA level to support education, healthcare, skills acquisition, and accessible infrastructure for persons with disabilities.”
He also said, “Government must lead by example by employing PWDs. Providing those without formal education with life-changing skills and support for their businesses is another way of empowering us to contribute to the growth of society, instead of being dependent on our families,” he added.
On the essence of the sensitization, the JONAPWD chairman explained that it was aimed at creating awareness on the rights of PWDs and provisions of the 2018 law, providing PWDs in Njikoka access to justice through legal counselling and referral, and fighting stigma, discrimination and exclusion.
He urged families and other members of the society to stop seeing disability through the lens of pity and dependency and begin to see ability, dignity and rights. He also called on communities to ensure PWDs are represented in community meetings, development committees, economic programmes and decision-making structures.
The chairman commended RoLAC for supporting the programme, noting that similar events had been held with their support in Ihiala, Anaocha and Onitsha North LGAs. He assured that his organization would continue to engage stakeholders across the state to ensure PWDs have access to justice, better life and social services.
Earlier in a welcome address, Francisca Chineke, Assistant Secretary of JONAPWD Nimo, decried that about 98 PWDs in the town face neglect when it comes to the distribution of palliatives and other social interventions in the community.
“We have about ninety-eight registered members of JONAPWD. Since 2019, members of Nimo NTDU home and abroad have been sending palliatives every month for less-privileged members of Nimo Community; however, the majority of our members are not getting it,” she said.
The Mayor of Njikoka Local Government Area, Barr. Chinedu Ononiba, represented by the Deputy Mayor, Iyom Fidelia Okafor, commended the leadership of the disability group for their unity and togetherness. He said the council recognizes the importance of persons with disabilities and would continue to ensure they are not left behind in government programmes.
“Anyone that is disabled is not forgotten. There is nothing we do in Njikoka that we forget the disabled. We have not yet employed in Njikoka but anytime we plan to do that, we will accommodate everyone,” he said.
The Mayor also assured that he would look into other demands of the PWDs, especially in the areas of accessibility to public infrastructure and other inclusion complaints of PWDs in the council area.
In their comments, National Secretary, Interim Committee of the Nimo Town Development Union (NTDU), Patrick Ugwu; Chairman, Iruobor Village Nimo, Tochukwu Egbochue; and the Youth Leader of NTDU, Comrade Chidike Okwaji, urged persons with disabilities not to exclude themselves from the affairs of society. They assured that they would serve as instruments to move the disability organization forward, promising to facilitate support where necessary and ensure palliatives and other interventions are channeled to the disability group in the community.
Earlier, JONAPWD Legal Adviser, Barr. Peter Muoneke, took participants through the various provisions of the Anambra State Disability Rights Law, and urged PWDs not to hesitate in reporting cases of abuse and rights infringement to the appropriate quarters for legal action. The event also featured an “Art for Rights” session, a craft and skills exhibition, and a free legal desk for counselling and referral.
