Disabled persons in the South-east have called on the states in the zone to facilitate the passage of the Disability Bill which seeks to protect the rights of persons with disabilities.
In their communiqué read at the end of their inaugural meeting in Umuahia, the Ohanaeze Disability Forum, ODF also called on all the south east governors to allot elective and appointive quota to persons with disability, PWDs as well as discourage street begging and other vices amongst them through effective employment and inclusion in government empowerment schemes.
The organisation said the organisation was formed following the need for PWDs from Igbo extraction to speak with one voice and emancipate ourselves most effectively and align with current development whereby the Nigeria Disability unionism has gone geographical,” adding that ODF formed the apex socio-political organisation to “awaken all levels of government in the south east to their responsibilities towards mainstreaming PWDs into the society.”
ODF’s President, Paul Ihekwoba, since education was a catalyst for the equalisation of opportunities between PWDs and the larger society, the Forum urged all tiers of government in the zone to put in place comprehensive scholarship scheme and accessible school environment for disabled students at all levels of education.
He called on all PWDs and their wards of voting age in the south-east to mandatorily participate in the INEC registration exercise and subsequent elections which could make a big difference condemned in its entirety the Boko Haram insurgence in the North-east and the subsequent abduction of Chibok School children.