The challenges experienced by persons living with disabilities have heightened social risks, causing heavy burdens, extreme poverty, and discrimination than those without disability. According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), they are often victims of human rights abuses including stigma, and violence, and often, are unable to access basic services such as education, health, public transport, and social safety.
My focus in this article is to carefully detail the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno’s inspiring approach in fixing all parameters standing as hurdles to ensure the elimination of discrimination and inclusion of persons with disabilities to guarantee them unhindered access in the running of governance and decision making vis-a-vis his ARISE Agenda policy blueprint.
Governor Umo Basssy Eno, PhD, through his enthralling leadership embodiment in the past 19 months on the saddle has boldly written his name in gold within and in the diaspora. His investment and efforts in impacting the lives of persons with a disability deserve unmatched accolades. One aspect the Governor has given maximum priority is the education sector, indicating his unchallenged passion for excellence.
So far, he has released the sum of N100 million as an Education Intervention Fund for students with disabilities from Akwa Ibom studying in public higher institutions across Nigeria. The same gesture is equally extended to non-indigenous students with disabilities studying in public higher institutions in Akwa Ibom State since last year – ₦250,000 for undergraduates, ₦300,000 thousand for Post Graduates, Master/Doctorate Degrees.
Remarkably, Governor Umo Eno is one leader who does not see people with disability only as handicaps but, as powerful assets who have, and will continue to bloom if given the right opportunities. This takes us to his sponsorship of a visually impaired law school student, Comrade Udeme Emmanuel, to whom he offered an N5m intervention fund placing him on a monthly stipend of N250,000 and other extraneous exigencies in the course of the programme with a promise of securing immediate lifespan employment upon graduation.
Impressively, Pastor Umo Eno has made a significant impact in providing quality Health care services to salvage their health conditions to make life less challenging with the establishment of a Free Health Insurance scheme for Persons with disabilities across all 31 Local Government Areas in the State, wherein some of the beneficiaries of the scheme are either in the general hospital or healthcare facilities.
Notably, the Governor has also extended his golden heart of compassion by making them beneficiaries of the ARISE compassionate homes, built by his administration to provide shelter for the poorest of the poor in the rural areas with some already completed, commissioned, and handed over to the beneficiaries with a business grant of five hundred thousand naira.
Indeed, this is a clear fulfillment of his promise to ameliorate poverty and provide humanitarian services to other vulnerable groups including women, youths, and the elderly in the society.
On political inclusion, It is generally acknowledged that Governor Eno has a clean sheet record on political appointments by not leaving behind persons with disabilities. His conviction that the focus should not be on the differences of people with disabilities but the talent of the individual has exemplified his ideal characteristics. As gender friendly leader, he has appointed both males and females as his Personal and Special Assistants and, they are duly functioning.
The Governor’s genuine passion and commitment to agriculture and farming to ensure food sufficiency and security is another legacy pointer to emulate. He has provided for the disability community in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development massive plots of land in Etinan local government to cultivate to promote farming and ensure food security in the near future. His investments in inclusive employment and livelihood interventions are critical to addressing unemployment challenges among persons with disabilities.
Earnestly, his inclination to create jobs by strengthening micro and small-scale enterprises (MSE) and supporting them through working capital, grants, and loans cannot be overemphasized. Many of them are currently undergoing training in their different areas of interest at the DAKKADA Skill Acquisition Center Ikot Ada-Idem, Ibiono Ibom LGA, and, over 100 disabled persons have been trained and empowered with start-up grants.
The story of a physically challenged person named Mr. Jones “Jones Shoe Manufacturing Company” who was trained and empowered with complete shoe manufacturing types of equipment, a mini factory, and a brand new tricycle to aid his regular day-to-day business activities is still very fresh in the memories of all Akwa Ibomites.
In conclusion, as the cerebral “Golden Boy Governor”, Pastor Umo Eno continues with his amazing strides to position the state as the best destination, it is without a doubt that his nomination and honour as the 2024 Governor of the Year by the Management of Leadership Newspaper following his outstanding performance, leadership ingenuity, passion in driving sustainable growth, infrastructural development, and policy innovations in the state was meritorious.
Jeremiah Edoho writes
Idua Ntak-Inyang Esit Eket LGA
