STATE Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Anambra State Directorate, Awka, Charles Nwoji, has underscored the importance of establishment of Disabilities Rights Commission by Anambra State Government as contained in the state’s Disability Rights Law 2018, to facilitate smooth management of affairs of persons living with disabilities in the state.
The NOA director gave the hint in his office in Awka, while felicitating with the Joint National Association of Persons Living with Disabilities, Anambra State Chapter, on the celebration of the 2020 International Day of Persons Living with Disabilities.
Reiterating the readiness of NOA in creating robust awareness on the Anambra State Disability Rights Law 2018, Nwoji said that NOA would work towards making every necessary provision for inclusion of persons living with disabilities in the agency’s team during its routine public enlightenment programmes at the grassroots to enhance effective communication of government programmes and policies through sign language.
Also, the agency, over the weekend, extended its sensitisation programme for better Nigeria to Anambra State Association of Town Unions (ASATU), charging the union to deploy its tentacles spread across the state to enhance the information and campaign against open defecation, violence against persons and the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic, especially now the wind of Christmas celebration is around the corner.
Nwoji, who led management team of the agency on advocacy visit to the National President of ASATU, Alex Onukwue in his office in Awka, advised the association to work towards protecting the rights of women and children at community level.
He expressed worry that the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic would deal decisively on the socioeconomic life of the country if left unchecked, pleading with the ASATU National President, Chief Onukwue to use the presidents-general to reach and caution the people on the dastardly dangers of the pandemic at town hall meetings during and after Christmas.
Responding, Chief Onukwue advocated the use of village setting in further educating the people on the dangers of open defecation, violence against persons and the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic, calling for more sensitisation programmes with a view to informing the people more on the inherent dangers of practising open defecation in this twenty-first century.
Arguing that people in the diaspora who may be coming home for Christmas might further import COVID-19 into the country, the ASATU president expressed optimism that with effective sensitisation at grassroots level by relevant agencies, the dreaded disease would be conquered.
