Ebonyi: JONAPWD Protests Planned Office Eviction, Seeks Nwifuru's Intervention ‎

‎ ‎.....Vow To Resist Humiliation

‎ ‎The Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Ebonyi State Chapter, yesterday staged a peaceful protest in Abakaliki, appealing to Governor Francis Nwifuru to intervene in what it described as plans by the Ebonyi State Ministry of Health to evict the association from its office at the State Secretariat Presco. ‎ ‎Addressing journalists during the protest, the State Chairman of JONAPWD, Comrade Nwovu Friday Christian, said the office had served as the association's operational base for more than a decade after it was allocated by a previous administration because of its accessibility to persons with disabilities.

‎ ‎He alleged that renovation work had already commenced on the building for a proposed blood bank despite a pending appeal by the association to the state government. ‎ ‎Christian appealed to the governor to ensure that the association is provided with a suitable and disability-friendly alternative office before any relocation takes place, stressing that accessibility remains critical to the group's operations and the delivery of support services to its members. ‎ ‎Also speaking, the founder of the Nigerian Physically Challenged People's Assembly, Barrister Enyi Nwabueze, and former JONAPWD Treasurer, Mrs. Nwanni Ngozi, urged the government to preserve the association's access to an accessible meeting venue while supporting the proposed health infrastructure project.

‎ ‎Responding, the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Moses Ekuma, dismissed claims that the government was neglecting persons with disabilities. ‎ ‎He explained that the building belongs to the Ministry of Health and has been designated for the establishment of a South-East regional blood bank in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, a project aimed at strengthening emergency healthcare services and reducing maternal mortality. ‎ ‎The commissioner, however, assured that the state government had resolved to provide JONAPWD with an alternative office, reaffirming the commitment of the Nwifuru administration to the welfare, inclusion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities in the state. ‎ ‎Corroborating, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health, Dr. Lawrence Ezeogo urged the people to understand with the people as the ministry has a plan to ensure that none of them is affected by the government plan.