Twelve lawyers who offered themselves voluntarily have been trained and empowered to offer free legal services to all clusters of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Anambra State.
The pro bono legal team, supported by the International IDEA—Rule of Law and Anti-corruption (RoLAC II) programme, a European Union-funded project, would work under the Anambra State Disability Rights Commission (ANSDRC) to ensure full implementation of the State Disability Rights Law 2018.
The Anambra State Coordinator, International IDEA—Rule of Law and Anti-corruption (RoLAC II) programme, Mrs. Josephine Onah, disclosed this at Awka during a one-day sensitization and awareness campaign and explained that the team was trained in Abuja.
Commending the disability rights commission for its sincerity and passion in improving service delivery to PWDs, Onah assured them that the RoLAC programme II would continue to support inclusivity and strengthen the institutional framework geared towards improved access to justice and the rule of law.
For his part, the Chairman of the Anambra State Disability Rights Commission (ANSDRC), Barr. Chuks Ezewuzie commended RoLAC for its commitment to fully operationalizing the disability rights law and urged the media to join in sensitizing the public about its key provisions.
According to him, anyone abusing or denying PWDs access to justice would be prosecuted accordingly.
“Governor Chukwuma Soludo, in his solution vision, had not only digitalized the commission but also empowered them to set up structures across political wards, villages, communities, and Local Government Areas.
“We are also going to collaborate with traditional rulers, presidents general, and other community leaders to ensure that the law worked perfectly,” he said.
While unveiling the legal team and key law provisions, the commission’s boss charged the heads of different clusters of PWDs with helping to convey the message to their community members.
He urged them to report any form of discrimination and infringement on their rights by any person, group of persons, communities, companies, or associations to the team and gain instant access to justice pro bono, even on repugnant cultural practices affecting them.
In separate goodwill messages, the Anambra State Chairman of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Comrade Ugochukwu Okeke, the leader of the women wing of the Association, Comrade Nwanokwara Ncheta, Mr. Ernest Okamelu of the blind community, Mr. Ndubueze Ezemba of the deaf community, Mr. Ben Orizu of Albinism community and Mrs. Aisha Edwards-Maduagwu of Sickle Cell Disorder (SCD) expressed their support to the initiatives.
