Persons with disabilities in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State have staged a peaceful protest to press home their demands from chairman of the Local Government, Hon. Jude Chukwunwike.
Leader of the group, chairman of Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities, JONAPWD, Comrade Osaji John states that the group have been neglected and marginalized despite having written over 18 letters to the chairman of their Local Government. These included both congratulatory and appointment schedule correspondences; unfortunately, none of these was attended to.
Osaji said, “we demand to know why all our letters right from onset of the administration has never been attended to”.
Giving additional reasons for the protest, Osaji lamented that during SURE-P, the L.G.A denied Persons with Disabilities, the stipulated nominal slots for empowerment.
He argued that “from the 1st to the 3rd stages of COVID-19, PWDs from Aniocha South didn’t receive palliatives from the Local Government.
“From the creation of this LGA, PWDs have never been included in any form of job empowerment despite having in their ranks qualified graduates of varying levels, M.sc, B.Sc, HND, OND, O’level etc.
“We were denied the slot of election delegates which was given to PWDs in all the LGAs across the State by his Excellency, the Governor”
The JONAPWD Chairperson wonders if PWDs in Aniocha South are truly part of the LGA given the spate of neglect and marginalization.
The group therefore demanded for an official file to be opened in the LGA to directly deal with JONAPWD executives without involvement of a third party. They demanded for employment and mobilization for the upcoming JONAPWD elections.
The chairman also called for inclusion of PWDs in the ongoing agric loan scheme. He appealed for support in acquiring of a bus for ease of movement for PWDs in the community.
Video of the protest received by INN