Mrs Otti supports 400 women with disabilities with twenty million naira, food items
Mrs Otti supports 400 women with disabilities with twenty million naira, food items
Ogbonnaya Ikokwu, Umuahia
The Wife of the Abia State Governor, Mrs. Priscilla Chidinma Otti, has reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to the welfare and inclusion of Persons With Disabilities, saying the measure of a society is on how it treats its most vulnerable.
Mrs. Otti stated this on Friday during a support outreach for PWDs held in Umuahia the state capital, where 400 persons living with disabilities received food items and cash assistance to cushion the effect of current economic realities.
The Abia First said she was filled with joy to reach out to the vulnerable in our society, especially men and women living with disability.
“This has been a long time coming, and this is just the start. I want to promise you that this will be a very frequent intervention from my office,” she said.
The governor’s wife, who is the founder of the Safe Tent Care Initiative, said the outreach was deliberately planned to be more than an afterthought, noting that women with disabilities deserved the same support extended to other women during the recent August Meeting.
“The true measure of a society is not how high its strongest can rise, but how faithfully it reaches for those who face the greatest barriers and how firmly it stands beside them until they too can rise,”
“My dear brothers and sisters living with disabilities, you matter, you are seen, and you belong to our state. In times of hardship, compassion must not be distant. It must be present, it must be practical, and it must reach the people who need it most.” Mrs. Otti said.
She explained that each beneficiary with complete records would receive their support before leaving the venue, but stressed that the intervention was beyond handouts.
“This is not charity and not an end in itself, it is solidarity in action. We do not just believe in handouts. We believe in teaching our people to fish and not handing them fish,” she said.
Listing the daily realities of PWDs, including unemployment, financial insecurity, medical expenses, limited mobility, poor accessibility, stigma and social exclusion, Mrs. Otti said her office had maintained direct engagement with the disability community since 2023.
She recalled that in 2024, over 600 PWDs benefited from a food and cash outreach, while in 2025, about 100 entrepreneurs with disabilities received business support through a partnership with her office.
She also disclosed that her office just signed an MoU with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), to train 200 women in vocational skills for three months, with starter packs at the end, assuring that a quota would be reserved for women with disabilities.
“These interventions may take different forms, but they are united by one purpose, to move from relief to resilience, from dependence to opportunity, and from vulnerability to greater economic independence,” she said.
Mrs. Otti noted that the nation’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Sunday launched the National Community Food Bank for the South-East in Anambra State to tackle food insecurity among widows, the elderly, PWDs, nursing mothers and children. She assured that Abia will soon launch its own and PWDs will be among beneficiaries.
She also appreciated the First Lady for her annual December intervention for PWDs, and commended the State Ministries of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, and the Abia State Disability Commission for their partnership.
She prayed that the support would bring relief and renewed hope, adding: “We do not stand with you because we see you are weak. We stand with you because we recognize your strength in your disability.”
She charged stakeholders not to relent, saying “the work of inclusion is never finished.”
Earlier Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection in Abia State, Mrs. Blessing Ngozi Felix, said the state government has given persons with disabilities a sense of belonging like never before, assuring them that their voices matter in government.
The Commissioner who was represented by Mr Imo Obinna Sabbatin, told the beneficiaries that no other government had carried them along as much as the present one.
“I extend my warm felicitations to the government and all stakeholders on this launch and support for people with disabilities, women with disabilities. This initiative is a bold step towards building a more inclusive society where everyone, regardless of ability, has the opportunity to thrive, contribute and to live a life of dignity,”
“You already know that no government has carried you along like this. You feel at home, your voices are heard, you mean a lot. You feel this government and this government feels your pain also. This government has made you realize that your voices matter. You are not nobody anymore. You are people, you are part of this state, you are part of this government. Your voices have been heard and will continue to be heard as long as this government is concerned,” she said.
In a remark the Commissioner for Women Affairs in the State, Mrs. Maureen Aghukwa, has said disability should never be a reason for exclusion, discrimination or neglect, stressing that Persons With Disabilities, PWDs, are valued members of society with talents and enormous contributions to make.
She noted that the program was a demonstration that every citizen matters and no one should be left behind in the collective pursuit of a better state.
“It gives me a sense of responsibility to stand before you today at this important program organized by the Safe Home Care Initiative of the Office of the Wife of the Governor. Today is not merely about the distribution of food items, it is about compassion, inclusion, dignity, and shared humanity,”
“Persons with disabilities are valued members of our society. You are people with talent, dreams, abilities, and enormous contributions to make to the development of our state. Disability should never be a reason for exclusion, discrimination, or neglect,” the Commissioner said.
Also speaking the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Persons Living With Disabilities, David Anyaele, said Governor mAlex Otti, is deliberate in ensuring no one is left behind in Abia State by reason of disability, noting that the administration believes in empowerment rather than palliatives.
“It’s my sincere honour and real privilege to welcome our women with disability to the 2026 Women with Disabilities August Meeting. For the past one month, Her Excellency has been moving from one local government to the other, sharing with women in Abia State on the importance of coming together and discussing issues of critical importance to our women,” he said.
He explained that the Governor’s wife specially reserved the day to spend quality time with women with disabilities after completing engagements across local governments.
“Today is our turn. Her Excellency on her own reserves today to spend a good time with each and every one of us. Therefore, as we gather here to rejoice and to interact, I want to encourage you to feel free, network with your friends, discuss the business you are doing, find opportunities and take advantage of today’s event,” Anyaele said.
Photo: Mrs Otti handing over a symbolic cheque to the beneficiaries