By Leonard Okachie
Stakeholders have commended the disability-inclusive review of Abia State’s climate change policy, describing it as a step towards providing direction and a sense of belonging for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in the state.
They made these remarks during a two-day workshop organised for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and PWDs to review the state’s climate change policy, with a focus on disability inclusion.
The workshop, held in Umuahia, was organised by the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) in collaboration with the Abia Commission for the Welfare of Disabled Persons, and supported by the Disability Rights Fund.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a similar workshop had earlier been held exclusively for PWDs to enable them to contribute to the draft policy document.
The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Abia, Mr Ikechukwu Uwana, commended the organisers, emphasised the importance of integrating PWDs into climate change decision-making processes.
Represented by the Director of Advisory Services at the Ministry of Justice, Mrs Ngozi Obioma, Uwana said the inclusion of PWDs would safeguard their interests, particularly in terms of facilitating climate change adaptation.
He noted that climate change could lead to the spread of diseases and other environmental hazards that might disproportionately affect PWDs.
“It is in an effort to address such hazards and protect the rights of PWDs that the Federal Government enacted the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018.
“In Abia, we also have the Abia State Commission for Disabled Persons Law No. 2 of 2020, which is primarily concerned with the welfare of PWDs,” he said.
Mr David Anyaele, Chairman of the Abia Commission for the Welfare of Disabled Persons, stated that the commission consistently ensures that the state’s climate change policies are non-discriminatory towards PWDs.
He added that the government was working to develop a roadmap to guide the state’s response to the impacts of climate change, including adaptation and mitigation measures.
“We are collaborating with various stakeholders across the state to ensure that the emerging climate change policy is inclusive of disability perspectives,” he said.
Anyaele, who also serves as Special Assistant to the Governor on Persons with Disabilities, praised the CCD for ensuring that PWDs were meaningfully included in the drafting of the policy.
“When climate change occurs, there is always a struggle to adapt, and PWDs are often the most affected.
“That is why we at the commission strongly believe that if we must mitigate and adapt, then the concerns of PWDs must be prioritised.
“When a policy like this is being developed and PWDs are excluded from the process, their needs are also left out in practice”.
Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Cliff Agbaeze, described the workshop as a step in the right direction, noting that MDAs are key to implementing the policy at grassroots level.
Represented by Mr Allwell Amaraizu, Chief Agricultural Officer at the Ministry of Agriculture, Agbaeze said the programme would help the ministry to educate farmers on disability-inclusive approaches to climate change.
Mrs Ifeoma Thomas, Special Assistant to the Governor on Vulnerable Groups and Poverty Alleviation, called for a change in attitude to protect the environment from the destructive effects of climate change.
She commended the organisers for bringing together state and non-state actors to contribute to the development of a more inclusive climate policy.
Mrs Esther Ajah, Special Assistant to the Governor on Climate Change and Sustainability, said the aim of the programme was to ensure that PWDs and other vulnerable groups were adequately considered in the state’s low-carbon transition.
She noted that Gov. Alex Otti’s vision is for an effective and inclusive transition process across all sectors of the economy.
Ajah added that there would be a second review of the climate change policy to ensure it reflects the needs not only of PWDs but also of all sectors in the state.
In his remarks, Acting Director of CCD, Mr Godwin Unumeri, said the workshop was intended to ensure that the views and experiences of PWDs were well represented in the final policy.
He praised the Abia government for its efforts, describing the state as a “pace-setter on disability issues across all areas of life”. (NAN)
