The Cross River State Government has commenced a survey of persons with disabilities across the state to generate reliable data that will guide inclusive planning, improve resource allocation and strengthen interventions aimed at improving the lives of vulnerable citizens.
The exercise, which reflects the administration’s People First Agenda, was flagged off by Governor Bassey Edet Otu, represented by the Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the State Planning Commission, Pastor Dr. Bong Duke, at the conference hall of the Cross River State Geographic Information Agency (CR-GIA), Calabar.
The two-day exercise brought together stakeholders from the National Bureau of Statistics, National Population Commission, Cross River State Persons with Disabilities Commission, CR-GIA, civil society organisations and relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government.
Declaring the exercise open, Duke said persons with disabilities were an important part of the state’s population, noting that they belonged to families and communities and participated actively in economic and social activities as students, professionals, entrepreneurs, workers and parents.
He said government’s responsibility went beyond speaking about inclusion to understanding the realities confronting persons with disabilities and using reliable evidence to make better policy decisions.
According to him, the survey would enable government to identify existing gaps and understand barriers that may prevent persons with disabilities from accessing healthcare, education, employment, social services and other opportunities, while also assessing their participation in community life.
“Government cannot plan effectively for what it does not have adequate information. The needs of a population cannot be properly understood if the evidence is missing,” Duke said.
He appealed to enumerators to treat every household with dignity, listen carefully to respondents and ask questions respectfully, while urging communities to cooperate with the personnel conducting the exercise, given the importance the state government attached to the survey.
Earlier, the State Statistician General, Mrs. Akedoh Okoi Edet, said the exercise was about more than collecting figures, describing it as an important step towards providing government with the evidence required to make better decisions.
Edet said the data generated would help government and stakeholders identify gaps, design appropriate interventions, allocate resources more effectively and build a more inclusive Cross River State.
She thanked Governor Otu for his support to the Bureau and commended the State Planning Commission, CR-GIA, relevant stakeholders and the Association of Persons with Disabilities for their collaboration, urging Cross Riverians to give enumerators the necessary support and cooperation as they visit identified households.
The programme, presided over by the Permanent Secretary, State Planning Commission, Mr. Kingsley Ndem Eyibio, featured a presentation by the lead consultant, Dr. Imoke Ethorty, on global and national statistics on persons with disabilities and the importance of accurate data in planning and development, as well as goodwill messages from stakeholders and practical training on Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI).
By Iloke Egbe
