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From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has donated an 18-seater bus to the newly established commission for persons living with disabilities to ease their logistical challenges in the state.
Okpebholo disclosed this at the 14th Rights Above Charity Lecture, jointly organized by the Network for the Advancement of People With Visible Disabilities (NAPVID), the Edo State Commission for Persons With Disabilities (ESCPD) and the Joint National Associations of Persons With Disabilities (JONAPWD), held in Benin.
The governor, represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Musa Ikhilor, said the gesture was a pointer that he has their interest at heart and also an indication of better days ahead for the commission.
“Only yesterday, I believe or the day before, the governor graciously instructed that a Hiace bus be provided for the commission to ease its movement and activities.
“I believe that this is progress that we can say is very tangible and indicative of better things to come. If this can be done in less than a year, we believe that the next three or four years will be way better. I understand that every government comes and does whatever it’s able to do. We appreciate that,” he said.
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Speaking further, Ikhilor said: “The theme for today I understand is from establishment to effectiveness. We understand that it is sometimes very challenging when you start a commission or a project.
“As at the time we established this commission, the budget had been passed because it wasn’t our budget and no provision was made for it. And we did some support from special intervention for the commission until later in the year, when we were able to pass a supplementary budget, where the governor graciously approved a provision of about N60 million for the commission as a takeoff grant in the supplementary budget when it was a amended.
“We have also supported the commission in its programmes and in its advocacy as much as we can, working with minimal budget. We believe, however, that things will be better next year when we have planned to include proper budget through provision in the 2026 budget.”
On his part, the Executive Director, Network for the Advancement of People With Visible Disabilities (NAPVID), Melody Omosah described this year’s Rights Above Charity discourse which had as its theme, ‘Establishment to Effectiveness: Making Inclusion the Heartbeat of Governance in Edo State’ as both timely and strategic.
He said the group was not just grateful to the government for establishing the commission but confident that the government would empower and strengthen it with the necessary resources to function adequately.
Chairperson of JONAPWD, Ann Ojugo, said event was a reminder that inclusion is not optional but a right and a foundation for a sustainable development.
