The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), Hon. Ayuba Gufwan, has hailed Governor Alex Otti of Abia State as a champion of the disabilities community in Nigeria.
Speaking during a working visit to the Governor on Thursday, Hon. Gufwan lauded Governor Otti’s inclusive leadership and commitment to advancing the rights and welfare of persons with disabilities in the region.
He further commended the Governor’s landmark decision to establish the Abia State Commission for Persons with Disabilities shortly after assuming office.
“We are deeply appreciative that upon your assumption of office, you established the Abia State equivalent of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities.
“I commend you and express the heartfelt appreciation of the 35 million persons living with disabilities in Nigeria. We say thank you for what you have done for us,” he said.
Hon. Gufwan, on behalf of the Commission, appealed to the Governor to provide a facility for the Southeast Zonal Office of the National Commission, citing Abia’s reputation as a welcoming and inclusive state.
“There is no place that is as hospitable to persons with disabilities in this region other than Abia State, and that is why we are here.
“We are 35 million, and we don’t have an office anywhere other than the office in Abuja, and so, it is very difficult to administer this huge number from one location.
“So, people in the Southeastern part of Nigeria who need our services can just access our zonal office,” Gufwan stated.
Responding, Governor Otti reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to inclusivity and non-discrimination, pointing out that his philosophy was evident with the recent appointment of a Head of Service from the South-South Geopolitical Zone.
“Our Government is a government that does not discriminate against persons living with disabilities. We don’t discriminate against women, we don’t discriminate against people because of their religious beliefs nor because of where they come from.
“That is why we pride ourselves as the first state in recent times that appointed a Head of Service who is not from Abia nor from the Southeast but is from the South-South.
“It is because we are focused on meritocracy without discrimination,” Gov. Otti said.
The Governor encouraged persons with disabilities, emphasizing that having a disability does not define their potential.
The Governor, who approved their request for the provision of a Southeast Zonal Office in Abia State, urged them to collaborate with his Special Assistant on Persons Living with Disabilities, the Director-General of the Umuahia Capital Development Authority, and the Commissioner for Lands and Housing to identify a suitable location for their office.
