The Niger Delta Development Commission has empowered a total of 120 persons living with disabilities with tools to enable them to navigate through their challenges.

This was as the commission charged them to develop their minds in such a manner that they could achieve their set goals.

The Director of NDDC, Rivers State Office, Engr Okezie Ule gave the charge while speaking at the commemoration of the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disability in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the NDDC held in Port Harcourt.

Ule, who was represented by the Head of Community and Rural Development, NDDC, Rivers State office, Prof. Continue Eketu said the state office of the commission deemed it necessary to reach out to the PLWDs on their special day.

He emphasized that the effort was in tandem with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, aimed at doing things differently to impact lives and develop society.

Ule stated, “We have impacted several communities in terms of infrastructure development. We have impacted several strata of society. Today is the World International Day For Persons With Disability, and we find it very necessary to show our concerns for them, to show how we can support them.

“That they are not neglected, they’re still a very special part of society and of course, we have reminded them that all a man needs to progress and to make it is his mind, it’s more of his mind than his circumstance.

“No matter what your circumstance is, if your mind is not made up, you can’t go anywhere. We have encouraged them that if they cannot run because of a physical disability, let their mind run. If you cannot see the reason for your vision impairment, let your mind see.

“If you cannot because of your nature walk, let your mind walk. The moment you conquer your environment, you have conquered it by 95 per cent.

“What we are giving them today, we are very sure it will encourage them to confront nature, to confront the desire, to confront their hope, with that statement of mind, they can make it.”

On how the beneficiaries were selected, the NDDC official said the commission had identified the association of people with disability because according to him people can be disabled in several ways.

He added, “So they are drawn in a disability cluster in their categories, to enable us to meet them generally. We are dealing with registered associations.
“I am very sure that there are a whole lot who are not registered and it will be very encouraging if they register so that organizations like NDDC can through a route of association meet with them.

“For this program, the beneficiaries are 120 in all for several categories and the aids are also in respect to the category, those who cannot walk, are given wheelchairs and even crutches.

“Those with vision impairment, there are also items there to help them navigate through the environment. Those with a disability of talking, there are also materials there, learning aids, there’s a whole lot.”

In his remarks, the Rivers State representative on the Board of the NDDC, Chief Tony Okocha, represented by his Special Assistant, Technical, Chibuzor Kwella said the new board and management of the commission are changing the narrative.

He stated, “You can see that since the coming of the NDDC board led by the chairman, Barr Chinedu Ebie and the Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, there has been tremendous improvement in the activities of the NDDC, especially the commissioning of projects.

“So the Rivers State representative on the NDDC board, Chief Okocha on this occasion wants you to accept the tools we are giving you today and make good use of them because more are coming.”

In an interview with South-South PUNCH correspondent, the chairman of the Rivers State chapter of the Joint National Association of Persons With Disability, Ndubusi Nwankwo, represented by Iheanyi Justice thanked the NDDC for the support.

Nwankwo said, “Many of our members have been suffering and you can see the joy on the faces of our members today. Some don’t even have a wheelchair. I know of a particular lady here who stops going to church because she doesn’t have a wheelchair.

“Since the NDDC has remembered people with disability today, we use this medium to tell them that they should respect the 2018 Disability Act, particularly in the area of employment where persons with disability are entitled to five per cent employability in every public organization.

“Today are aware that the NDDC employs nine persons, one from each of the nine Niger Delta states under contract. So we are begging the NDDC to convert those contract engagements to the permanent staff of the NDDC so we can know that we are part of the Niger Delta.”



https://punchng.com/nddc-empowers-120-plwds-with-tools-in-rivers/