VICTORIA Chikwelu, commissioner for Social Welfare, Children and Women Affairs, MSWCWA, said persons with physical disabilities in Anambra State “have abilities in disability.”

Chikwelu said this during a prayer Summit and an `End of The Year Party, organised by the Association of Persons with Physical Disabilities, ASPWPD, at St. Matthew’s Catholic Church, Amawbia, Awka South Local Government Area.

Chikwelu noted that Governor Willie Obiano and Ebelechukwu Obiano, his wife, had been of immense help to the group hence, they awarded him a title ‘Oguguomakwa’.

She said that the governor’s wife through her CAFÉ project had trained no fewer than 50 physically challenged on how to repair telephones and empowered them with tools and electricity generating sets for the job.

The first lady Obiano also gave out artificial limbs to 1,300 physically challenged to aid their mobility.

Chikwelu said the group influenced many souls over the last four years and enjoined them to look out for people with disabilities who had yet to register with the association.

“Give me the names of those at home with disabilities for onward submission to wife of the governor.

“Micro Finance Banks will offer loans to support small scale businesses and beneficiaries should be prepared to pay back such loans so that others can benefit from such revolving loans too,’’ Chikwelu said.

Azuka Ofomata, the permanent secretary MSWCWA, while narrating his ordeal said: “Governor Willie Obiano is running a disability inclusive administration.’’

Ofomata noted that in the history administrations, it was only Gov. Obiano that had appointed a visually impaired person as permanent secretary, the first of its kind.

Ofomata, then, enjoined his members to always believe in God and work hard to earn a living as, “there is ability in disability,” hence their group name ‘ndiikedinobi.’

Chukwuka  Ezewuzie, the senior special adviser, SSA, to governor on Disability Matters, hailed Chikwelu for helping to propel the governor to assist them.

Ezewuzie thanked God for using the governor to meet their needs and enjoined the group to live up to expectation.

Earlier, Paulinus Ezeokafor, the Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, said in every condition, we should always praise God.

The bishop, who was represented by Valentine Ofomata, a reverend father and the spiritual director of ASPWPD, said that God had not finished creating man, saying that accident could make an able bodied person to become disabled.

“In suffering, we should carry our cross always as tickets to heaven.

“This world is not our home and as it pleases God in our conditions, we should as well be pleased,’’ Ezeokafor said.

He advised them not to regret their conditions as God would continue to provide for them.

The bishop, then, prayed God for His will to always be done in their lives.

In a welcome address, Ugochukwu Okeke, chairman of the association, enumerated some of their achievements to include; training of 25 women and 2 men on skill-bead making, cosmetology and confectionaries.

The rest are registration of persons with disability Transport Enterprise with the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, as part of sustainability plans for the association.

The chairman said in spite their successes; the association was still facing inadequate funding, mobility problems (bus for the association, wheel chairs and crutches), unemployment of their members.

Okeke called on government and good spirited individuals to rally support for them.

He enjoined his group to see themselves as over comers by standing up to prove to the world that their abilities were greater than their disabilities.

The event also featured the presentation of ‘HOPE and POSSIBILITY AWARD to nine awardees, who contributed to the development of Persons with Physical Disability in Anambra State.

– Dec.  15, 2017 @ 17:32 GMT