By Chikaodi Chukwuleta

Chairman, Joint National  Association of Persons With Disabilities ( JONAPWD), Anambra State,  Comrade Ugochukwu Okeke, has disclosed  that it is a collective responsibility to build a society that is inclusive and accomodating to the needs of persons with disabilities, by providing greater access to education, employment, healthcare, promoting a culture of respect, understanding ,  acceptance, and other essential services.

Okeke made this known during this year’s celebration of International Day of Persons Living with Disabilities, with the theme, ‘Amplifying the Leadership of Persons with Disabilities for Inclusive  and Sustainable Future,’ held at St. Mathews Catholic  Church, Amawbia.

He thanked Anambra State Government,civil society organisations, media, churches, private individuals, traditional  institutions, development partners ( ROLAC) for their supports, adding that the disability community has improved tremendously.

” We are not where we are 10 years ago,” he stated.

He however called for inclusion of persons with disabilities in state programmes and activities, noting that inaccessibility  of public structures and transportation system have remained serious challenges that limit their active participation in society, including exclusion of members from appointments, elective positions, and non- functionality of some rehabilitation centres where  they could be trained and empowered.

Okeke commended the Anambra State Government for development strides in areas of mass employment  of teachers and medical personel, including road construction, and appealed for extention of Christmas gifts to Ndị Anambra with disabilities.

Engr. Sandra Chioma Nwaokoye from the Institute of Electrical  and Electronics Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka,  advised persons with disabilities to key into technology as the pathway to productivity  and prosperity.

“Your phone is a powerful tool in your hand. This will help you to go far in life. You can sit at the comfort of your home and make impact to your life and  change the world at large”.

She stated that technology  does not need physical appearance, rather brain to write scripts, compose songs and do graphic designs and encouraged them to move into technology,  especially the younger ones among them.

Chairman, Pentecostal  Fellowship of  Nigeria, Bishop Moses Ezedebego, ably represented by  Director, Business  and Investment  in the state,   Amb. Odogwu Mark Odogwu, encouraged them to covert disability to ability and opportunity and promised that all pentecostal churches will build a step that will accomdate them for easy accessibity.

Earlier in his speech, Chairman, Disablity Rights Commission,  Barr. Chuks Ezewuzie, said the theme of  the year’s event is focusing  on participation, representation and inclusion from the united Nations, thereby  demanding for inclusion of persons with disabilities in decision making in the state, investment opportunities in disability, lifting persons with  disabilities from the state of paranoia to the state of pronoia.

Past leader of JONAPWD, Lawrence Nwanolue, a Catholic Priest at St Mathew Catholic Church, Amawbia,  Fr Michael  Onwukaibe, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Chairman,  Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, represented  by state the treasurer,  Ogemdi Ozoemena of Odenigbo FM were present at the occasion.