Physically
challenged persons in Delta State under the umbrella group, Joint National
Association of People Living with Disability (JNAPLWD) on Monday, 8 July, 2013
barricaded the ever busy Benin/Asaba Expressway in protest over what they
called marginalization by the state government authority.
Travelers who were caught up in the
barricade suffered a heavy traffic gridlock that lasted from 11am in the morning to 11pm in the night.
Efforts made by the secretary to the
State Government, Comrade Ovuozuore Macaulay and other top government officials including
police and soldiers to keep the
protesting physically challenged persons out of the road failed as they
vowed not to leave until they speak to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan. The
protesters said they were not happy with the way they were denied their
benefits in the recent Federal Government SURE-P programme.
The police under the Delta State
command later arrested 179 physically challenged persons who were part of the
protesters.
However, Governor Uduaghan has
ordered the release of the arrested 179
physically challenged persons for unlawful blocking of the Benin-Asaba
Expressway in Asaba but with a condition
to sign an undertaking to henceforth be of good behavior and never to engage in
any riotous act that will disrupt traffic or breach of peace in any part of the
state.
The governor said he is surprise
with the unruly behavour of the physically challenged persons as his
government has done so much for them,
pointing out that government will not give money to anybody as it prefers
training those who are interested in
skills acquisition.
In an interview with Ika Weekly,
chairman of the physically challenged persons in Ika North East local government
area, Mrs. Elizabeth Bawoh said they did not mean to suffer commuters but to
drive home their demand. She thanked the chairman of Ika North East local
government area Princess Ijenwa Okunonke for including physically challenged
persons in the disbursement of the SURE-P fund sent to the local government.
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