Soludo Uplifts PWDs in Anambra
By Udodirim Oti ,Awka
The Chairman, Anambra State Disability Rights Commission (ASDRC), Barr Chuks Ezewuzie has commended the Governor of Anambra State, Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo, for uplifting persons with disabilities in the state.
Ezewuzie, who disclosed this at a media briefing in Awka, the state capital, explained that setting up the fund committee for PWDs was also among decisions reached at end of their recent quarterly meeting.
He listed other initiatives to be implemented by the Commission to include appointment of commission liaison officers (CLOs) in 326 electoral wards, 179 communities, 21 Local government areas, and maintaining regular collaborations with local government chairmen, community leaders, traditional rulers, religious institutions, among others.
“We are determined to pulling persons with disabilities out of poverty using establishment of Access Market Pavilion (AMP); cooperative society for persons with disabilities; credit facilities for entrepreneurs with disabilities; trade fair for merchants and skilled persons with disabilities; and others,” he added.
He further commended governor Chukwuma Soludo for employing PWDs in the State civil service, including enrollment of their members in the ongoing one youth two skills scheme, inclusion in distribution of cash crops, among others, assuring that plans were on the way to ensure all public places are accessible as provided by the law.
He said the Soludo Government has begun the process of documentation of persons with disabilities at the grassroots level.
According to him, in line with the Solution Vision for persons with disabilities in the state, the government has approved the appointment of Liaison Officers for the 21 local government councils, 179 communities and 326 political wards in the state, with representatives from the various town unions and traditional institutions.
Ezewuzie said that the “Umunna” (kindred) initiative of Governor Soludo is capturing data of persons with disabilities starting from kindred, community, local government to state level, adding that the commission will regularly visit the grassroots to find vulnerable persons with disabilities and see what to do to get them to start school or get gainful employment.
He further revealed that they have established the Persons with Disabilities Fund under the chairmanship of a commission’s member, Bishop Ezedebego, stressing that the fund will attract support from international donors and philanthropists.
He thanked Governor Soludo for the approval of memoranda to furnish and equip the commission with a state-of-the-art equipment after creating an independent budget line for the commission, even as he said the commission has programmes to pull persons with disabilities out of poverty through establishment of Access Market Pavilion (AMP) and cooperative society for persons with disabilities, credit facilities for entrepreneurship with disabilities and trade fair for merchants and skilled persons with disabilities.
He said that the commission is poised to actualize of the one youth, two skills for persons with disabilities.
