Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
Having known the pains and agonies Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) go through on a daily basis, the Edo State governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, said he has made arrangement to capture them in the ongoing free bus scheme implemented by the state government to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal on Edo people.
He said that some of the additional buses already ordered would come with ramps for easy access for physically challenged persons on wheelchairs.
The Managing Director, Edo State Transport Authority (ESTA), Edugie Agbonlahor made the disclosure on Thursday, on the sideline of the close door meeting of the ResilientNet Project, of the Edo Disability Forum (EDF) powered by National Democratic Institute (NDI)
Agbonlahor, who was represented by the agency’s director of Transport Planning, George Aghahowa, reiterated the state government’s commitment to welfare of Edo PWDs hence the procurement of new buses for all inclusive transportation scheme.
“Right now we are in the process of procuring additional 50 units of CNG buses, brand new ones which are going to be added to the present fleet.
“That will now make more buses available for the people and what we have thought of at the end of the day, is that by the time these buses are coming, we have given specification to the people that are going to handle it that some of these buses should come with ramps; to be accessible to physically challenged especially those on wheelchairs”, Aghahowa said
Earlier, the EDF convener, Melody Omosah, called for a sustainable approach to tackling the socio-economic challenges faced by the PWDs especially in emergency situations as the post-subsidy regime.
According to Omosah, the state already has a disability law that can only be implemented through a disability commission to further guarantee their social security and inclusion at any given time.
“It is the demand of the (Edo Disability) forum that the commission be inaugurated before the end of this administration”, Omosah said.
On her part, the commissioner for Social Development and Gender Issues, Christabel Omoh Ekwu, assured the forum that government is “working hard to fully consider and incorporate” PWDs in its scheme of things especially in the operation ‘Feed the Hungry’ Initiative recently launched by governor Obaseki as part of efforts to cushion the impacts of current economic hardship on the people.
“We’re also working very hard to see that the disability commission comes to bear and very soon that will be happening”, Ekwu said.