The Founder and Chairman Board of Trustees, Kpakpando Foundation, also the Senator representing Imo West Senatorial District at the Red Chambers, Senator Osita Izunaso has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the recent signing of the protocols of African Charter on Persons with Disabilities.
Senator Osita Izunaso, also the Chairman, Senate Committee on Capital Market, made the assertion during the just concluded 18th Anniversary Celebration of the Kpakpando Foundation for Persons with Disability which took place in Owerri, Capital of Imo State.
Senator Izunaso who expressed satisfaction with the massive turnout and good conducts by the PWDs in this year’s event, stated that Nigeria has indeed come a long way in matters that concern Persons With Disability (PWDs). He explained that Nigeria became a signatory to the UN Convention for Persons With Disability since 2006, and now recently joined the league of nations with pact on African Charter on the PWDs, with the signing of the Protocols by President Ahmed Tinubu.
Sen. Izunaso remarked that today, Nigeria now has a Commission that carters for Persons With Disability, explaining that he was part of the making of the Bill, which had hovered in the National Assembly for over 19 years, before it’s final passage and subsequent signing into law by President Mohammadu Buhari.
Sen. Izunaso further explained that, today, 20 out of the 36 States of the federation have already domesticated the act, making it a law in those States. He hinted that Imo State has formally joined the league of States that domesticated the act establishing the National Commission on Persons With Disabilities.
The 2023 edition of the Kpakpando Foundation Anniversary Celebration, which attracted distinguished personalities across the federation and beyond, with over 2000 members of the Persons with Disabilities community in attendance, witnessed presentations of various items to lucky beneficiaries. Some of the items include; Cash, Scholarships, Laptop computers, Wheelchairs, Sewing machines, Cooking gas, Grinding machines, Charcoal stove among other items including cartons of Tommy-Tommy noodles.
Highpoint of the event was the pronouncement of the appointment of a person with physical Disability, Mr Orisaeke Ikenna Celestine as Special Assistant on Persons with Disability to Distinguished Senator Osita Izunaso; the announcement attracted unprecedented loud ovation from the PWDs.