The Special Adviser to the governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, on People with Disability, Mr. David Anyaele, has reaffirmed the preparedness of the government to ensure that access to quality education and healthcare services are enhanced to benefit children suffering from cerebral palsy, and other Persons with Disabilities.
Speaking in Umuahia, during The Straight Child Foundation special March edition of the Parent Support Group to mark year 2024 Cerebral Palsy awareness month, with the theme, ‘Being All That You Can Be,’ Mr. Anyaele, who observed that the society has made life difficult for PWDs, tying disability to a lot of factors to victimize, humiliate and isolate victims, tasked parents of children with CP to continue to create awareness and to support the government to ensure that stigmatization, discrimination, among other barriers, against their children are removed.
He pointed out that the dedication of 20 and 15 per cent of the budget to education and health respectively, did not only underscore government’s prioritization of the social sector and/but also aligned with the Governor Otti-led administration’s vision to ensure access to quality education and healthcare services for the citizens, including persons with cerebral palsy.
Anyaele narrated the challenges he faced when he lost his two hands and how he was able to combat and defeat the challenges, pointing out that disability is not about disadvantage, hence the need for parents to support their CP children to attain greater heights in life.
He said, “I must commend the TSCF for this cerebral palsy awareness event. Issues that have to do with cerebral palsy are silent in Abia State, Nigeria and in most countries. It is only when there is a forum like this that we will be able to escalate and give them and their parents the voice to share their experiences, so that the society will be able to understand approaches and best ways to support them.
Otti Pledges Assistance To Children With Cerebral Palsy
