Benin, Edo – As the world mark 2024 International Day for Persons with disabilities, the Network For The Advancement Of People With Visible Disabilities (NAPVID), has called on Edo state governor, Monday Okpebholo, to set up a disability commission to drive implementation of the Edo disability law.
NAPVID’s executive director, Melody Omosah Esq made the call in his address at the 13th ‘Rights Above Charity Lecture’, to commemorate this year’s world disability day, held on Tuesday in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
Omosah who congratulated Okpebholo for his swearing-in and subsequent assumption of office as governor, assured him of Edo disability community commitment to work with his administration to foster social justice, equity and inclusiveness.
“Your Excellency, while congratulating you for taking on the mantle of leadership in the state, we are pleased to inform you that the immediate past administration of governor Godwin Obaseki, bequeathed to us, the Edo State Persons With Disability Law, 2022, to prohibit all forms of discrimination and protect the spectrum of rights and interests of Persons with Disabilities.
“Your Excellency, we celebrate that legacy because it took more than ten years of intense advocacy to have a Disability Right Law in Edo state. However, we must appreciate that law as an instrument of social engineering, and not self enforcing as they can not carry out their own provisions into effect.”, Omosah said
He continued, “It’s in this vein, that persons with disabilities in Edo state, passionately and respectfully call on His Excellency, the executive governor of Edo state, senator Monday Okpebholo, to immediately constitute the Edo State Commission for Persons with Disabilities, to drive the implementation of the law. Our joy of having a Disability Right Law as provided in Part B, section (25) of the Edo State Persons With Disability Law, will be short-lived if the establishment of the commission is further delayed”.
Also, the keynote speaker, Prof Yinka Omorogbe, maintained that the disability law is worth implementation to further safeguard the rights of persons living with disabilities in the state.
The former Edo attorney general and commissioner of justice harp on the need for “an actively empowered commission” to deliver on its objectives as enshrined in the law.
“The (Edo disability) law is in the right direction; so, it would be great to have a commission. It would be great to ensure the commission is actively empowered to do what it suppose to do; in alignment with the objectives of that law”, Prof Omorogbe noted in her lecture
There were panel sessions to discuss implementation strategy for the disability law in the state, as well as the presentations of multi-million naira empowerment items to some beneficiaries of NAPVID’s ‘Project HELP’ initiative.
Dignitaries present at the event included former attorney general of the state, Osagie Obayuwana Esq, Edo chairperson of Joint National Association of People With Disabilities (JONAPWD), Ann Ojugo, representative of Edo South senator, Neda Imasuen amongst others.
