Persons with disabilities shut down NDDC headquarters

Over 100 persons living with disability paralysed activities at the headquarters of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, on Aba Road Port Harcourt on Wednesday, locking out staff and blocking the highway.

The physically challenged persons came under the auspices of the National Association of Persons with Disability, Bayelsa State Chapter, and literally camped at the gate of the NDDC from Tuesday to Wednesday afternoon.

The protesters not only paralyzed business activities at the commission as workers and visitors were prevented from accessing the offices in the Commission’s headquarters, they also disrupted vehicular traffic on both sides of the very busy Aba Road for several hours.

Members of the various groups involved in the protest came with 14 buses from Bayelsa State in their wheel chairs and crutches, waving placards with different inscriptions. One of the messages read: “We want skill acquisition training for physically challenged people.”

Other placards and banners indicated that the physically challenged persons were protesting neglect and abandonment by the NDDC.

The barricade of Aba Road resulted in a serious traffic gridlock that hurt Port Harcourt residents and those doing business in the state capital. Many vehicles had to divert to other routes while passengers had to resort to trekking for long distances.

The President of the group, Mr. Emotonye Azikiwe, said they were at the commission’s head office to demand the sum of N3million promised them during a recent courtesy visit of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities to the NDDC Managing Director, Mr. Nsima Ekere.

Azikiwe complained that some of them came from different states in the Niger Delta, and therefore, needed to be assisted with some money for transport to return to their various destinations.

In an interview with Daily Times at the NDDC gate,yesterday, the Chairman of the Niger Delta Great Minds Foundation of People with Deformities, NDGMFPD, Bayelsa State Chapter, Mr Duoduo Binaebi, said that they were not part of the three groups, which the commission agreed to give N3million, during a joint visit.

Binaebi demanded that NDDC pay the groups N7million to enable them celebrate December 3, set aside by the United Nations as World Day for People with Disability. He said the Commission should provide support for people living with disabilities in the region, adding that apart from the N7million, they also needed wheelchairs and other mobility aids to enable them fend for themselves.

Another person on wheel chair, Mr. Faith Joyful, said that those of them in Bayelsa State did not benefit from the mobility aids distributed by the NDDC. He insisted that they would continue to barricade the NDDC gates until the management did the needful.

Reacting to the development, the Director of Corporate Affairs of NDDC, Mr. Ibitoye Abosede, assured of the Commission’s commitment to providing necessary support for members of the group to earn sustainable livelihood.

Daily Times gathered that four different groups, including the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Niger Delta Great Minds Foundation of People with Deformities (NDGMFPD), Niger Delta Coalition of Persons with Disabilities (NDCPD), and Non-Achievers Disabled Association (NADA), had recently formed an eight-man committee, which visited the NDDC management, recently.

It would be recalled that during the visit of the umbrella group, Ekere had formally recognized JONAPWD as the clearing platform for people living with disabilities in the region.

Amaka Agbu, Port Harcourt