JONAPWD Enugu State Chapter has paid a courtesy visit to the new commissioner for children, gender, and social development.
The Visit which took place on Monday in the Commissioner’s office was to discuss a working relationship for the benefits of persons with disabilities in Enugu State.
The JONAPWD Chairman, Comrade Onyebuchi Mba, introduced himself and the team present, who represent persons with disabilities across the 17 local government areas of the state.
The Hon. Commissioner also introduced herself as Mrs. Ngozi Enih, the commissioner for children, gender, and social development.
JONAPWD chairman seized the opportunity to officially felicitate the commissioner for the good work she has done within the short period of her assumption.
Comrade Onyebuchi, on behalf of all persons with disabilities in Enugu State, made the following demands from the commissioner:
1) championing the implementation of the Enugu State discrimination against persons with disabilities (prohibition) law in 2023 and stressing that issues affecting persons with disabilities will transcend charity to a right-based approach if the law is fully implemented.
2)Hosting the International Day of Persons with Disabilities celebration in the state.
3)Request to serve as a JONAPWD patroness.
4)Request for an office space for the coordination of JONAPWD affairs.
The chairman ended with the presentation of a copy of the disability law and the proposal for the 2023 disability day celebration to the commissioner.
Nonye Ogbuagu, speaking on behalf of the Albinism Association, appreciated the honourable commissioner and pleaded for sun screens to be accommodated in the assistive devices to be distributed on October 1, the Independence Day celebration.
JONAPWD financial secretary Chiamaka Ohalete pleaded with the honourable commissioner to consider the accessibility of PWDs in the ongoing renovation as an exemplar for the implementation of the law.
The honourable commissioner, in her response, thanked the team and supported the idea that whatever will come to the disability community in Enugu must be based on their rights and no longer charity.
She apologized for the way and manner in which PWDS have been treated by society in the past and passionately echoed that she will stand for PWDs, she will speak for PWDs because it is their rights.
The honourable commissioner revealed to us that PWDs will be accommodated in the Independence Day celebration, and we should get ourselves prepared.
She further related to us that she has made an appeal for assistive devices to be shared to the PWDs participants in placement of other items to be shared. While she promised to present the implementation of the law and proposal to the Executive Governor, she admonished us to be upright in distributing items allocated to us from the state with the concept of social justice, as she wouldn’t want to get any negative feedback from PWDs.
On the issue of office, the honourable commissioner pledged that a desk will be allocated to us after the ongoing renovation in the ministry and accepted to serve as JONAPWD patroness.In her final speech, she stressed that her office will work in line with the government to protect the rights of PWDs in Enugu State and urged us all to pray for her.
Chiamaka Ohalete, in the closing remarks, thanked the honourable commissioner for her exceptional dispositions and good works, and encouraged her to continue in the direction she has started with assurance that the disability community shall pray and partner with her to actualize the inclusivity dream she unprecedentedly introduced.
