By Leonard Okachie
The Royal Ambassadors Charity Home (RACH) has advocated equal rights for persons with disabilities (PWDs) in ministries, offices, security agencies and other government establishments.
The Executive Director of the group, Mr Jonathan Okwudiri, made the call at the inauguration of Abia State Working Team on Wednesday in Umuahia.
Okwudiri said that the group seeks to address all forms of discrimination faced by PWDs and other vulnerable persons in society.
He commended the Abia State Government for domesticating the Disability Law and creating the Disability Commission.
According to him, the organisation will collaborate with the commission in advocating for the rights of PWDs.
Okwudiri said: “If the police, military and those other federal security agencies want to recruit, they would give condition that the recruitment is for able-bodied people.
“That means the PWDs are excluded.
“My Director of Information and Communication can write with her pen, answer phone calls and do all things that able-bodied people can do, yet she doesn’t have fingers.
“So there is no need for us to segregate.”
He said that the organisation was saddled with the responsibility of helping, caring and empowering orphans, widows, PWDs, the poor and persons with special needs in society.
He urged the new executive of the organisation to be dedicated to their social responsibilities and shun any form of discrimination or favouritism in its operarions.
Okwudiri said that the non-governmental organisation had its presence in 27 states of the federation and provided help and care to at least 10, 000 persons, since its inception in 2011.
The RACH boss called on the state government, philanthropists, donors and other well-meaning individuals to support the organisation to execute its empowerment programmes in the state.
In a remark, the Chairman, Abia State Disability Commission, Mr Eldad Monu, thanked the organisers and expressed government’s readiness to work with any person or organisation to alleviate the plight of PWDs and other vulnerable persons in the state.
Monu, who spoke through a sign language interpreter, said that the commission had started building a database for all the PWDs in Abia for identification and empowerment.
In an acceptable speech, the State Coordinator, Mr Iroabuchi Alozie, said that the organisation would provide the channel to reach out to orphans, widows, PWDs and those with special needs in the state and country in general.
He urged the members to join hands with the executive to actualise the set objectives of the organisation in Abia. (NAN)
