Physically-Challenged persons have vowed to stop the campaign rally of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu scheduled to hold in Owerri, Imo State on Tuesday.
The physically-challenged operating under the aegis of Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities (JONAPWD) disclosed of their plan to stop the rally on Friday when they staged a protest rally in Owerri.
The protest rally saw staffers of the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Vulnerable Groups scampering for their dear lives.
The special citizens stormed the Ministry in a ‘commando’ style invading the offices of the Commissioner and Permanent Secretary of the ministry.
They equally emptied some bags of garri inside the offices and along the secretariat’s lobby.
Our correspondent gathered that the protesters could not see any senior staff of the Ministry to officially lodge their complaint.
It was further learnt that they spotted a woman (name withheld) who they requested to inform the Commissioner and Permanent Secretary that they have returned bags of garri, wheat and corn donated to them as Christmas largesse by Imo State Government.
As they made to exit from the secretariat, they poured the remaining garri on a black Prado Jeep parked at the Commissioner’s official car park.
The spokesman of the protesters, Emeka Nwocha accused the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Vulnerable Groups, Nkechi Ugwu and her Permanent Secretary of negligence.
Nwocha wondered why Imo State Government should donate garri, wheat and corn to them during Christmas whereas it donated trailer loads of rice to civil servants, party men and appointees.
He accused Imo Government of relegating them to background through its policies.
Nwocha who is the Secretary of JONAPWD said; “We are not happy the way Imo Government treats us. Government has continued to neglect us. If you don’t have person living with disabilities in your home, your community must have them.
“So, managing a disabled is very expressive. 95% of the needs of those living with disabilities should be provided by government while parents should cater for the remaining 5%.
“The reverse is the case in Imo State. Government cares for our colleagues in Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Bayelsa and other states.
“How can Imo State Government gave us 7 bags of garri,4 bags of wheat and 4 bags of corn as Christmas gift?. These items came from the Ministry of Women Affairs and Vulnerable Groups through the Commissioner and her Permanent Secretary.
“We said no to rotten garri, and we are ready to go home hungry than to eat food poison. Corporate organizations always donate food and other household items through the Ministry, but what we normally see is peanuts.
“We learnt that Agip and NDDC have donated food items to us, but we have not seen anything. Government failed to sponsor our national convention and disabled day last year December as it promised.
“We have instructed our leaders within the 27 LGAs of the state to mobilize at least two 18seater buses each to halt Tinubu’s visit to Imo State on Tuesday if nothing is done to arrest our demands before Monday.
“I know that government will use military personnel, police and other security operatives to intimidate us, but we are ready to resist them through the power of the Almighty God”.
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Several calls put across the Commissioner to get her own side of the story proved abortive as her phone rang repeatedly without response.
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