Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State has inaugurated the Anambra State Disability Rights Commission (ASDRC).
The Commission has as its Chairman, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Disability Matters, Barrister Chukwudi Ezewuzie,
Performing the inauguration at the Government House, Awka, on Tuesday, February 2022, Governor Obiano disclosed that his administration has engaged no fewer than 400 Persons Living with Disabilities (PLWDs) since its inception in 2014.
He emphasized that the major reason his administration thought it necessary to engage the PLWDs was to protect them from harassment and discrimination, as well as ensure their inclusion in development and empowerment for economic liberty.
Governor Obiano further hinted that his interest in signing the Disability Rights Law 2018 in line with Section 3 of the ASDRL 2018 and the inauguration of ASDRC in line with Section 4, was due to his interest in touching lives, especially the less privileged.
According to the Governor, the terms of reference of the Commission are Implementing government policies in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Issuance of guidelines for education, social development and welfare of PLWDs and Issuance of directives and guidelines to special schools for PLWDs, among others.
Other members of the Commission are Ugochukwu Okeke, Anambra State Chairman of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disability (JONAPWD), Moses Ezedebego (representative of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Dr Pat Okeke (Private Sector representative), Willie Umeh (Local Government Service Commission), Mrs Victoria Okonkwo (Education), Anthonia Obianyo (Social Development, Children and Women Affairs), Eucharia Anaekwe (CSOs), and Tony Oli (Sports Commission).
In his speech, the Chairman of ASDRC, Barrister Chukwuka Ezewuzie, who commended Obiano for the move, described the inauguration of the governor’s forward-looking thrust and consolidation of most of his legacy projects.
Ezewuzie said the governor like his wife, Ebelechukwu, who runs Caring Family Enhancement Initiative (CAFE), has a passion to change the lives of PLWDs positively, stressing other states should emulate him.
Handing over copies of ASDRC Establishment Law and United Nations Conventions on Rights of PLWDs as working documents for members of the board, Barrister Ezewuzie asserted that the Governor had empowered PLWDs to become self-reliant, breadwinners and nation builders.
Also speaking, the Chairman of JONAPWD, Ugochukwu Okeke, maintained that through the initiative, Governor Obiano had written his name in gold, noting that he was the first governor in the South East to sign the Disability Rights Law and Establishment of Disability Rights Commission.
On her part, the wife of renowned transporter, G.U.O. Okeke, Lady Pat Okeke, also extolled governor Obiano for establishing the commission, which he observed, would go a long way in meeting the needs of the PLWDs.
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