• As commission trains permanent secretaries on disability law, inclusion

Chairman of Abia State Disability Commission, Mr. David Obinna Anyaele, has called on all tiers of governments to end street begging through inclusive budgets that provide for Persons With Disabilities (PWDs).

Mr. Anyaele who made the call during a capacity building for Permanent Secretaries on Abia State Disability Law and Disability Inclusion in Umuahia, also called on Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to create Disability Desks for easy engagement with PWDs.

In many cities across Nigeria, street begging persons with disabilities is a common sight and in a presentation titled: “Disability Inlusive Budget,” Anyaele asserted that “when governments fail to make budgets that provide for Persons with Disabilities, they promote street begging.”

The Abia Diasbility Commission boss added that PWDs “will continue to struggle in their efforts to participate and contribute to socio-economic development of the society when government at all levels neglect them in the budget provisions.”

According to him, Disability Inclusive Budget is designed to mainstream the needs of PWDs to ensure their inclusion and participation in the society on equal bases with others, adding that it occurs when an organization, during its planning process, allocates funds to remove barriers, promote participation for PWDs, and provides targeted activities for PWDs.

He stressed that a disability-inclusive budget was a legal and powerful instrument that could support removal of barriers against people with disabilities and enhance equal opportunity, inclusion and participation of all irrespective of ability or disability.

Mr Anyaele emphasized that the training was aimed at equipping the participants to drive inclusion of PWDs in government policies and activities, using their vantage positions in their ministries

“We understand the role and responsibilities of Permanent Secretaries in democratic governance. Policies are generated, policies are implemented, policies are evaluated and measured; it starts and ends with Permanent Secretaries.

“Commissioners can come and go, Chairman of Boards can come and go, but the Permanent Secretaries remain in driving key decisions of the state.”

He said the training was organized to educate them to understand their role and responsibilities in driving mainstreaming and including PWDs in the work and activities of the ministries.

“It becomes imperative that we invite you to join us as we take a look, as we expose our knowledge around disability inclusion, understanding disability issues, as well as understanding budgeting inclusion.

“One thing is to acquire knowledge, one thing is to make law, another thing is to understand how to operationalise such law by ensuring that appropriate budget are being presented in order to ensure smooth and easy access for all,” he added.

He said that by improving their knowledge Permanent Secretaries would understand the entry point in bridging the gap between PWDs and governance as a whole in Abia State and appealed to them “to demonstrate their interest and passion in bringing change to the New Abia where there will be no discrimination, isolation or rejection on the grounds of disability, but welcomes inclusiveness.”

He identified attitudinal barrier which encourages discrimination and stigmatization, lack of social acceptance, poor parental and guardian attitude; perception and belief about PWDs; and institutional barrier which results from lack of implementation and enforcement of frameworks; bureaucracy and corruption; low budget allocation to social welfare and low level of awareness on disability inclusion as the worst of the many barriers PWDs suffer.

Communication barrier, he noted, manifests in inadequate supply and availability of assistive devices, insufficient number of sign language interpreters, Braille and other communication facilities and charged the Permanent Secretaries to champion creation of Disability Desk in their ministries and a Focal Person appointed to man the Desks; as well as ensuring that ministries should have wheel chairs and recruitment of sign language interpreters, to make engagement with PWDs who may have anything to do with the ministries seamless.

He also urged the Permanent Secretaries to ensure that ministries should have a wheel chair and recruit sign language interpreters to make their engagements with PWDs less stressful.

He said solutions to the removing the barriers include mainstreaming disability, behavioural change in treatment of PWDs, advocacy, awareness creation, reporting/escalating issues of discrimination, and violation of rights of PWDs, as well as budget tracking by civil society organisations.

Abia State Associate Project Officer of Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAC), Onyedikachi Odi, in her goodwill message, said that the training would equip the permanent Secretaries with the knowledge, skills and tools necessary to mainstream disability issues in the programmes and budgets of their respective ministries,

“As leaders, you have a critical role in shaping the future of ministries, Departments and agencies (MDAs) in Abia State and ensuring that every individual, regardless of their abilities, has access to opportunities and service,” she charged the Permanent Secretaries.

“This event will explore ways to promote accessibility, inclusivity, and equity in our MDAs and to ensure that PWDs are empowered to participate fully in the society.” She said and enjoined all stakeholders to work together to make Abia State a beacon of hope and inclusivity for PWDs.

Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs, Lady Oge Maduka, while giving the Vote of Thanks, described the training as “an eye opener,” saying it has equipped them with the law to advocate for inclusion of PWDs in their various ministries.

“We are now equipped with the law (Abia Disability Law). I want to believe that every ministry has something to offer. We look forward to more collaborations,” Lady Maduka said.