The Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Abia, Mr Kingsley Anosike, has said that the State Government is operating a policy that is very friendly to Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
He made this known during an advocacy visit by the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), to his office in Umuahia on Friday.
The commissioner said that Dr Alex Otti-led administration had always ensured that members of the disability community were intentionally accommodated in policy making.
Anosike gave an instance with the launch of Cooperative Fund on Thursday by the government, stressing that it was intentional that PWDs were fully represented as beneficiaries.
He said: “If we are doing NG-Cares for the poor and vulnerable there is a quota for PWDs.
“If we are going to give 100 people some kind of interventions, 30 per cent of it must go to this cadre.
“It is not a question of go and drag and some people are running faster than the other to take advantage.
“So, no matter how slow you walk to that selection, what has been allocated your community will definitely get to you.”
Earlier, the Senior Programme Officer, CCD, Mr Damian Ivom, said that the essence of the visit was to brief the commissioner on the outcome of the centre’s recent research report on disability inclusive climate change adaptation and mitigation in the state.
According to him, some of the findings included increased vulnerability, limited awareness and education, inadequate policy and support system as well as barriers to participation.
He said that one of the centre’s requests was for the ministry to ensure allocation of adequate budgetary provision for inclusive-climate adaptation and mitigation in the state.
“We would like to collaborate with you because you are the one that prepares the budget and planning, so that PWDs would be mainstreamed in your subsequent activities,” Ivom said.
The CCD was accompanied in the advocacy visit by heads of different clusters in the disability community.(NAN)
