By Leonard Okachie
Umuahia, Oct. 28, 2026 (NAN) The Abia State Commission for Welfare of Persons with Disabilities, on Wednesday, trained some persons with disabilities (PWDs) on access to justice, leadership and inclusive governance.
The one-day capacity building workshop, which took place in Umuahia, was supported by the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme (RoLAC II) and funded by the EU.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that participants at the event included disability cluster leaders, civil society organisations and sign language interpreters.
In a remark, the Chairman of the commission, Dr David Anyaele, said the workshop demonstrated collective commitment to inclusion.
Anyaele said that Abia had recorded progress through the enactment of the Disability Law in 2022 and establishment of the commission in 2024.
However, he said the existence of laws did not automatically translate to enjoyment of rights by PWDs
According to him, many PWDs still face barriers in accessing justice due to the lack of accommodation and shortage of interpreters.
Anyaele said: “When persons with disabilities are excluded from the justice system, justice is not accessible.
“When persons with disabilities are excluded from governance, governance is not inclusive.
“When persons with disabilities are excluded from development, development is unsustainable.”
Anyaele thanked the EU and International IDEA for supporting the initiative to strengthen PWDs access to justice.
The state Coordinator of RoLAC, Mr Peter Omenka, said the programme was committed to ensuring non-discriminatory access to justice.
Omenka said the workshop was designed to close the gaps in rights awareness and provision of interpreters.
In a goodwill message, the Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Mrs Blessing Felix, said more advocacy on inclusion was needed.
“We need more of advocacy because we want inclusiveness to be enshrined.
“A person with disability should not be denied justice because a courtroom is inaccessible,” Felix said.
She said that disability inclusion was about recognising rights and ensuring public institutions were accessible to everyone.
She also said that Gov. Alex Otti had demonstrated commitment through strengthening the commission and supporting vulnerable groups.
She commended the Governor’s Wife, Mrs Priscilla Otti, for providing N20 million and food items to 400 women with disabilities.
The commissioner said the ministry was working with UNICEF and ILO to strengthen the social protection system.
A resource person, Mr Godwin Unumeri, said the goal of the workshop was to build practical skills for evidence-based advocacy.
He urged participants to translate knowledge into concrete actions across the 17 Local Government Areas of the state.
(NAN)
