The Enugu State Persons with Disabilities Commission has appealed to Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah to urgently intervene following what it described as the rejection of applications submitted by qualified persons with disabilities for the ongoing recruitment exercise by the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB).
Representatives of the Commission raised the concern over what happened on August 17, 2026, at the office of the Executive Chairman of ENSUBEB, Professor Hyginus Banko Okibe, describing the development as a matter that goes beyond an individual recruitment exercise to touch on justice, inclusion, equal opportunity and respect for the law.
The representatives explained that following ENSUBEB’s announcement of recruitment into various positions, the Commission called on qualified persons with disabilities across Enugu State to submit their CVs through the Commission. The move, they said, was intended to collectively facilitate their participation in the exercise and prevent applicants from being excluded because of mobility, communication, accessibility and other barriers associated with disability.
They stressed that the arrangement was not an attempt to circumvent the recruitment process, but an inclusion measure designed to ensure that qualified persons with disabilities could participate on an equal basis.
According to the representatives, the Commission had earlier written to the ENSUBEB Executive Chairman seeking engagement on the matter. On August 14, 2026, representatives of the Commission went to ENSUBEB with the applications but were unable to meet the Executive Chairman because he was unavailable.
They said an aide to the Chairman advised them to notify him and return with the CVs for submission, after which they were subsequently advised to return on August 17.
“We returned in good faith,” the representatives said.
However, they alleged that when they returned on August 17, they were informed that the applications could no longer be accepted because they had not been submitted before Friday, August 14.
The representatives said they explained that they had physically been at ENSUBEB on August 14 but could not submit the applications because the Executive Chairman was unavailable and they had been directed to return.
They alleged that despite the explanation, the applications were rejected and their delegation was walked out of the office.
“This is unacceptable,” they declared.
The representatives emphasised that persons with disabilities were not asking for charity or undeserved advantage, but were demanding inclusion, equal opportunity and compliance with the law.
“Persons with disabilities are not asking for charity. We are demanding inclusion, equal opportunity and compliance with the law,” they stated.
They drew attention to the Enugu State Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Law 2023, which provides for the integration and protection of persons with disabilities and seeks to safeguard their social, economic and civil rights.
They also cited the law’s provision for a five per cent employment quota for persons with disabilities in public organisations, arguing that qualified applicants must not be treated as an afterthought when government employment opportunities become available.
Against this backdrop, the representatives called on Professor Okibe to accept all the CVs and applications already compiled by qualified persons with disabilities, ensure that qualified applicants are considered in the recruitment exercise and respect and implement the applicable disability laws, including the five per cent employment provision.
They stressed that the matter was bigger than one individual, insisting that it was about whether a government institution would uphold the principles of inclusion, fairness and equal opportunity.
The Commission’s representatives also appealed to the Secretary to the Enugu State Government and the Chief of Staff to the Governor to urgently look into the matter and ensure that the rights and interests of qualified persons with disabilities are protected.
They made a particular appeal to Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, whose administration they acknowledged for its commitment to building an inclusive Enugu State.
According to them, the Governor’s intervention would help ensure that the actions or decisions of an individual public officer do not undermine the administration’s broader vision of inclusion and equal opportunity.
“Enugu is aspiring to become a model of inclusion—not a state where persons with disabilities are turned away when they come forward to exercise their lawful rights,” they said.
The representatives further stressed that although Professor Okibe occupies the office of Executive Chairman of ENSUBEB, no public office holder is above the law, and no administrative position should become a platform for shutting vulnerable citizens out of opportunities meant for the public.
They urged the state government to also examine whether the leadership and operations of ENSUBEB are sufficiently aligned with the inclusive vision of the Mbah administration.
“If the leadership of ENSUBEB continues in a manner that disregards inclusion, compassion and the applicable law, then the Government must ask the difficult but necessary question: Is this leadership capable of advancing the inclusive vision of the Enugu State Government and delivering the kind of institution that our people deserve?” the representatives asked.
Despite the development, the Commission said it remained committed to constructive engagement, but would not surrender the rights of persons with disabilities.
“We cannot remain silent while qualified persons with disabilities are excluded,” they declared.
“The CVs must be accepted. Qualified persons with disabilities must be considered. The five per cent provision0 must be respected. And the law must prevail.”
The representatives concluded with a powerful message that captured the essence of their appeal: “Disability is not inability. Inclusion is not a favour. Equal opportunity is a right.”
They added: “Enough of exclusion. ENSUBEB must do the right thing.”
