By Chidimma Ajemba Awka,
The Chairman of Anambra State Disability Rights Commission, Barrister Chuks Ezewuzie has acknowledged the milestone achievements of the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) and Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) Anambra State Chapter on the occasion of the launch of the abridged Igbo and Pidgin version of the disability rights law.
The ASDRC Boss, represented by the Coordinator of Operations in the Commission Mr Samuel Okoro unveiled the project and appreciated RoLAC for all the funding and support given to Jonapwd that enabled them to achieve so many success stories for the disability community in Anambra State.”
RoLAC has been regular backbone support in the fight for the rights of persons with disabilities and has lessened the responsibility burden of the Disability Rights Commission through the production of hard copies of the Anambra State Disability Rights Law, Sign Language Directory and now the funding of the Abridged Igbo and Pidgin version of the Anambra State Disability Rights Law.
“The commission has a large chunk of responsibilities geared towards the implementation of the disability rights law and we have mapped out strategies and means of making the public see the need to implement this law in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and we are determined to swing into action.
“We congratulate Jonapwd Anambra for your achievements so far, and we will continue to support you in charting the course for a better future for persons with disabilities in the state.
Mr Okoro also called for immediate funding from the government, private individuals and development partners as it will help keep the commission working effectively as expected. It will be recalled that Anambra State has been a pacesetter in disability inclusion in Nigeria being the only state in the southeast to have a law protecting the rights of persons with disabilities.
In his welcome remarks, the chairman of JONAPWD Anambra, Comrade Ugochukwu Ernest Okeke, stated that the major aim of producing the abridged copy was to make it handy, accessible and easy to read for the usage of the public.
He noted that the significance of the event was anchored on creating more awareness about the law as well as mobilizing support for its speedy implementation.
“The aim of making the copies available in a simplified accessible format is targeted at making sure that the awareness of the law gets to every nook and crannies of the state.”
The State Program Coordinator of Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption(RoLAC) in Anambra state, Mrs Josephine Ona while giving her goodwill message expressed delight at the success story recorded by JONAPWD in space of 5 years and called for more sensitization and awareness creation on the need for immediate implementation of the provisions of the Anambra State Disability Right Law.
“The establishment of the law is a milestone in the journey to the creation of access to justice for persons with disabilities in the state.”
“I urge the relevant service providers to start making use of the sign language interpreters directory made available by RoLAC”.
“Let’s not forget that this initiative was aimed at bridging the communication gap between the general public and the disability community”.
About 40 Sign Language interpreters have been trained by RoLAC and those available at Anambra State Disability Rights Commission are ever ready to serve if contacted.
The legal adviser to Jonapwd, Barrister Peter Mmuoneke while giving a concise overview of the abridged copies pointed out the need to amend section 6(1) of the ASDRL 2018 which stated that the chairman shall serve on a part-time base for three years.
He explained that the chairman of the commission and even the commission members have a lot of duties to achieve that require a full-time base plan.
The Coordinator of the Sign Language Team, Mrs Chinwe Aniekwe Okeke and a sign language interpreter Mr Emmanuel Aniemenam took time to enlighten the participants about the history of Sign Language and practical basic sign language while urging them to visit the ASDRC for further learning free of charge.
