USAID Nigeria State2State has appealed to the Ebonyi State government to adopt the National Disability Act as the absence of the legal framework is said to have created a gap in the inclusion of persons with disabilities across various sectors.
Ejiro Okotie, the State2State Gender and Social Inclusion Specialist
stated this during a 3-day Training for the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Matters and Rural Development, and Target Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Ebonyi State, on Disability Inclusion Awareness and Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI).
The training was organized by USAID Nigeria State2State in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state.
Earlier, the State Team Lead (STL) Dr. Sam Onyia, in a keynote address stated that Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) are core principles of the USAID State Accountability Transparency and Effectiveness (State2State) Activity.
As such the training was very significant.
State2State is working in 4 target Local governments of Abakaliki, Ebonyi, Ikwo and Ohaozara, it was necessary for LGA official officials needed to bere to be more inclusive of all social groups including persons with disabilities in the LGAs.
He was impressed with the attendance of the Royal Fathers, as they are influential in the community and can ensure the involvement of persons with disabilities in decision making processes in the LGAs.
Dr. Onyi urged all participants to extend the knowledge by stepping down the training to their colleagues who were unable to attend.
This was to ensure more stakeholders in the LGAs are knowledgeable of disability inclusion and can adequately mainstream GESI in all LGA activities.
Kusan Niyang, GESI Advisor at USAID Nigeria State2State, in her presentation, noted that in mainstreaming gender it is pertinent for government to do the analysis and come up with elements that will address the needs of both males and females.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development Mrs. Mojibade Ekuma on her part, commended State2State for coming up with a project aimed at addressing the anomalies in GESI in government programs, and policies.
Okotie further explained that the event was organized to ensure that every citizen participates effectively in the governance and service delivery of the state.
According to her, based on the GESI assan assessment carried out by State2State, one of the key findings is that there is a need for more inclusion of the persons with disability in governance in Ebonyi State hence the need for more advocacy and awareness of various stakeholders.
“The program is a governance activity working with state governments to ensure that there is public accountability aimed at improving service delivery in basic education, primary health care and water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) to ensure that every citizen participates effectively.
“To achieve this, the stakeholders ought to have a detailed knowledge of disability inclusion especially in the four Local government areas of Abakaliki, Ebonyi, Ikwo and Ohaozara and the Ministry of Local Government Areas.
Okotie further disclosed that there was a tremendous improvement over their activity of last year as an impressive involvement was seen both in the state and at the Local government levels in involvement of persons with disabilities in decision-making and other processes.
“When the community charter of demands was deployed in some of the LGAs such as Ikwo, Afikpo South and other places, persons with disabilities participated and in other projects which were executed in Abakaliki LGA, some persons with disabilities were assigned as project ambassadors to advocate for effective delivery mostly on primary healthcare” said.
One of the participants, His Royal Highness Eze Dominic Ibor Alo, the Traditional Ruler of Amagu Ikwo Autonomous Community in Ikwo LGA assured that he would accommodate persons with disabilities in his cabinet and care for them more than ever in the area adding that before now he had already facilitated the emergence of one person with disability as a catechist in his kingdom.
Another participant and member of the Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities (JONAPWD), Ebonyi State chapter, Mrs. Elizabeth Agbo said that she had learned a lot during the three days program adding that before now she had concluded that the discrimination against disabled persons is normal but with the training, the wrong impression has been reversed.
