Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State has denied allegations that his administration “completely abandoned” People Living With Disabilities (PWDs) in the state.

Background

A former Nigerian High Commissioner to South-Africa, Uche Ajuluchukwu, Wednesday, accused Mr Soludo of abandoning people living with disabilities by “never budgeting a dime for the Disability Commission in the state” since he assumed office.

Mrs Ajuluchukwu spoke during the commemoration of the one-year anniversary of Anambra State Disability Rights Commission in Awka, the state capital.

The commission was constituted in December 2021 by the administration of former Governor of the state, Willie Obiano.

Soludo reacts

But reacting through a statement on Friday by his spokesperson, Christian Aburime, Mr Soludo described the claim as “misleading and erroneous.”

The governor contended that, contrary to the former high commissioner’s claims, he had carried out “remarkable actions” to ensure the welfare and empowerment of the vulnerable segments of the society including the PWDs in the state.

He said Mrs Ajuluchukwu did not research the government’s initiatives “thoroughly” before making the allegations.

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“To set the record straight, the Anambra State Government, through the office of the Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, has empowered about 12 vulnerable Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) and associations in the state,” he said.

He explained that the empowerment was undertaken to alleviate the suffering of all categories of people with disabilities and children with special needs in the state.

Mr Soludo listed some of the NGOs empowered by the government so far to include Anambra State Albinism Association, National Association of the Deaf, Young Wing of the Blind Students Association of Nigeria and Association of Women with Disabilities.

“The government has given approval for the PWDs being trained in different skills at the Oba and Aguleri Vocational Centres of the state to be empowered.

“Furthermore, the state government has set a committee to plan and coordinate the implementation of the N1.5 billion ward-based economic empowerment for vulnerable persons which include the PWDs,” he stated, adding that data collection for would-be beneficiaries had since commenced.

The governor stressed that his administration was committed to fostering economic independence and social inclusion of everyone irrespective of their physical abilities.

He said Mr Ajuluchukwu’s allegations misconstrued his administration’s efforts and could also distract the progress being made in the state by the government “to carry everybody along.”

“Constructive criticism is always welcomed, but it should be based on verified information rather than misleading narratives,” he added.

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