TQM Report,
I greet you all Ndi Anambra with Special Ability.
First, I hereby express my profound gratitude to you all for your unflinching support through out the period of this campaign. I did not take for granted or trivialize the role you can play in our campaign structure and this is why for the first time in the history of Anambra State, we created a campaign directorate for your constituency. I have seen you in every rally we had in spite of the challenges and special circumstances of the present campaign. You have proved that you have the ability and capacity to do anything you are giving the opportunity to do. I have paid special attention to your canopies at every rally and appreciated with great admiration your participation, contributions and sacrifices. I received a report on how many of you crawled on your bellies to safety and away from flying bullets at Ihiala.
On behalf of our great APGA Party, your Own Party, I commend your undauntedness, perseverance and commitment. I cannot compensate you enough for your trouble or reward you sufficiently for your support.
I believe the best way to explain my passion, hope and desire for you is to adopt your Community Charter of Demand made available to me by your leaders.
If I may ask you, do you feel better today with Apga administration under Governor Willie Obiano than your situation before Governor Willie Obiano? In other words are you happier today than before?
If your answer is Yes, then here I’m to continue the legacy and project of Governor Willie Obiano for the Disability community. My vision for you is to take what you have now to the next level. According to the prophetic statement of Governor Obiano, “at the end of my administration, people will come from far and wide to take notes on how to take care of persons with disabilities.
The UN Convention on the Rights of persons with Disabilities, UNCRPD, mandates member states to promote an inclusive society through the protection of the rights and empowerment of persons with disabilities. This follows also, the fact that the full productivity of a society will never be maximized if possibilities are left buried in the minds of persons with disabilities who constitute a number of human resources in that society.
In Anambra, this number is about 600,000 (ie about one-fourth of the total population). and is therefore a block too huge to be undermined.
In the present Anambra State, particularly under the present administration, persons with disabilities have not only been done a fair deal but also been seen to be so, in terms of empowerments through; political appointments, employments into civil service and in terms of protection of their rights through the enactment of the Disability rights law, 2018.
With a population of about 600,000 persons who are now more politically aware of their stake through their votes in elections and in decision making processes, issues of persons with disabilities can not be swept off so carelessly again in Anambra state by any winning-minded political structure. And as a matter of great importance therefore, persons with disabilities in Anambra State are open to enter into a social contract with leaders and persons of leadership interests on key issues that will guarantee an inclusive and more productive society for all in accordance with international standards and conventions.
The disability community is out for persons with utmost commitment and can be held accountable on the following priority issues as outlined below:
1. Setting up of Anambra state Disabilities Rights Commission within few months in office. This is a body that helps the government and persons with disabilities to promote and ensure the protection of the disability rights and inclusion as provided in the Anambra state disability rights law 2018 .
2.Empowering Ndi-Anambra with Disabilities to hold stake in building economically
viable and virile society: Developed and Industrialized.
3.Encouraging entrepreneurs with Disabilities who have formed cooperative societies to
access Anambra State Small Business Agency( ASBA) loans and assisting manufactures/farmers with disabilities to access the
Central Bank grants or credit facilities for micro, small and medium enterprises
(MSME).
4.Sensitization of the Anambra society for attitudinal change towards persons with
Disabilities.
5. Encouraging athletes with Disabilities to enroll and compete in all sporting events both
local and international.
6.Supporting the skill acquisition program which enhances the productivity of unemployed persons
with disabilities and supporting rehabilitation centre and special schools for them to
achieve their establishment goals.
7.Continuous Implementation of the automatic employment opportunity program for
Ndi-Anambra with Disabilities and to extend the academic scholarship program of the current administration for students with disabilities from primary to tertiary institution.
8. Making provision for political appointments for persons with disabilities considering all the cluster groups and women(Persons with Physical Disabilities, Blind, Deaf,Albino and Women with Disabilities) at the state and local government levels.
9. Building units of houses for low income earners with Disabilities.
10.Extending the retirement period of service for persons with disabilities .This is to cushion the effect of challenges persons with disabilities usually face before they are gainfully employed.
11.Provision of monthly stipends to the Aged and unemployed persons with disabilities.
12.To make provision for special mobility allowance to workers with
disabilities to enable them take care of their mobility aids and appliances.
13. To provide special/ accessible buses that will take care of the transportation needs of
persons with disabilities.
It is however worthy of note that inclusiveness of the disability community in governance is not an act of charity or social benevolence. A simple and summarized logical calculations shows a tip of the immense benefits this holds for a state.
With a population of about 600,000 persons made more productive through conscientious and well-executed inclusiveness: Economically, at an average of N1,200.00 per capita (a very conservative assumption) monthly, this block of the society will be generating N1.2 Billion naira in revenue for the state, (a sum that can equal empowering 1,000 youths with 1.2 million or about 10km of roads in a month!). Politically, this is a block that can produce at the least i.e at about 20% turn-out, can produce 100,000 electoral votes, this is not a negligible block by any means. Not to forget the social benefits that can be harnessed through the general good-will , empathy and sentiments that is attached to issues of persons with disabilities by the members of the public, particularly in Anambra state.
Issues on persons with disabilities can not be waved off by any winning-minded political structure. It is also worthy of note that the issues of persons with disabilities should be regarded as matters of rights than of charity.
LONG LIVE ANAMBRA STATE(LIGHT OF THE NATION).
