Persons with disability, Tuesday blocked Abia State House of Assembly gate over inability of the House to pass their bill on disability matters.
Led by the state Chairman, Joint Association of Persons Living With Disabilities, Hon. Wisdom Okechukwu Kalu, said they came to prevail upon the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Orji and the Abia State House of Assembly to pass the disability bills before the House since eight years ago.
“This is eight years that our bill has been lying down in the state House of Assembly.
“We have made several attempts to have the bill passed. We met with the Speaker, not by representation and who promised that they will so after their recess last year April, but failed.
“We made another attempt through our National Chairman, David Anyaele and who met with the Speaker, and he was assured of doing that.
“We met with the Governor ‘s wife who dropped the bill with the Speaker with another three, the bills are still lying there.
“By this time next year, they will be leaving and we will start afresh”, he said.
He highlighted the benefits of the bill to include automatic scholarships, employment, environmental accessibility, empowerment, and the establishment of Disability Commission, among others.
In his speech, the Special Adviser to the Speaker on Persons Disabled Matters, Chief Enyinna Madumere, who is also the founder, SOS Village for the Disabled, and Mumu Don Do Grassroots Movement for the Disabled said “Here is our camp now. It is now an IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camp for the disabled.
“We have also met with the state governor and also with his wife on the matter.
“We are not leaving here until our request is granted”.
Also speaking, the state woman leader of the group, Princess Ngozi Nwaguru noted “This is a good one, a step in the right direction.
“We are here to support domestication and passage of the bill and the establishment of the ministry.
“We need quality healthcare for persons living with disabilities and women, and others.
“The essence is to integrate us into the helm of affairs. If the bill is domesticated, we will be protected”.
Meanwhile, retinue of police and other security agencies were at hand to prevent them from entering into the Assembly premises.
It was observed that their plan to convert the Assembly premises into an IDP camp was not an empty threat as the disabled came with their cooking utensils, including cooking camp gas, bags of satchet water, among others.
Meanwhile, for over five hours, no principal officer of the House of Assembly were on hand to attend to them.
All attempts by the Deputy Clerk of the House to address them was rebuffed by them.
However, the members representing Aba South and All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA governorship running mate in 2023 election, Hon. Obinna Ichita who accidentally ran into the protesting group advised them to sheath their swords.
He assured them that he would take their matter to the Speaker and his governorship candidate, Prof. Greg Ibe for their intervention.
Meanwhile, as at the time of this report, they are still blocking the Assembly gate as they have engaged in plans to prepare their evening meals there.
