The disability community in Kogi State has applauded the appointment of the State Chairman of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Comrade Ibrahim Daniel Arome, as Senior Special Assistant to Governor Usman Ahmed Ododo on Grassroots Mobilisation.
The appointment has been described as a significant development in the disability community’s longstanding campaign for greater political representation and participation in governance.
Arome, a prominent disability rights advocate and political mobiliser, was appointed by the Kogi State Government in recognition of his political contributions to the ruling party and the state. He is expected to mobilise grassroots support for the administration of Governor Ododo and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The JONAPWD chairman previously served as the pioneer Chairman of the Board of the Kogi State Office for Disability Affairs (KOSODA) under the administration of former Governor Yahaya Bello.
His appointment brings to five the number of persons with disabilities appointed as Senior Special Assistants by the present administration, a development stakeholders said reflects growing recognition of the political value and leadership capacity of persons with disabilities in the state.
Reacting to the development, disability rights advocate, Comrade Davies Oluwasegun Solomon, described Arome’s appointment as a milestone for political inclusion in Kogi State.
Solomon said Arome had demonstrated his political commitment and loyalty to Governor Ododo and the APC, adding that the appointment showed that the governor recognised the capabilities of persons with disabilities and was willing to give them greater opportunities to participate in politics and governance.
He, however, appealed to the state government to complement the political appointments with increased employment opportunities for qualified persons with disabilities, particularly through the implementation of the five per cent employment quota for PWDs in the state.
Solomon also commended former Governor Yahaya Bello for signing the state disability law, which paved the way for the establishment of KOSODA, describing the development as an important milestone in institutionalising disability affairs in the state.
Similarly, the President of the Association of Applicants and Workers with Disabilities in Nigeria, Comrade Samuel Mark, commended the Ododo administration for giving persons with disabilities a greater sense of belonging through political appointments.
Mark called on the state and federal governments to pursue broader political representation for persons with disabilities, including the creation of dedicated legislative seats in State Houses of Assembly and Local Government Legislative Councils through constitutional reform.
He said stronger political representation would enable persons with disabilities to have a greater voice in decision-making and contribute to the protection of their rights to education, transportation, employment and socio-economic development.
Join Inclusive News Network WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You