A dispute has erupted between the Ebonyi State chapter of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) and the State Ministry of Health over the proposed conversion of the association's office in Abakaliki into a regional blood bank facility.
The development followed the commencement of renovation works at the office by contractors engaged by the Ministry of Health, a move that members of the association resisted, alleging they were being forcefully evicted without an alternative accommodation.
Addressing journalists at the premises, the Ebonyi State Chairman of JONAPWD, Comrade Friday Christian Nwovu, appealed to Governor Francis Nwifuru to intervene, insisting that the association had occupied the office for over a decade after it was allocated to persons with disabilities by the immediate past administration.
Nwovu said the office was retained for the association because of its accessibility, unlike the state's Centenary City where many government offices were relocated.
He alleged that the Ministry of Health had served the association with a notice to quit before mobilising contractors to commence renovation works despite ongoing discussions on the matter.
"We have nowhere else to go. This office is accessible to persons with disabilities and has served as our operational headquarters for more than 10 years. We are not resisting government, but if this place is to be taken, we should first be provided with a suitable alternative," he said.
According to him, the office hosts meetings, training programmes and other activities involving members drawn from the 13 local government areas of the state.
"This place is our life. Taking it away without an alternative is like taking away the life of persons with disabilities in Ebonyi State," Nwovu added.
He further appealed to Governor Nwifuru to halt the planned eviction, expressing confidence that the governor was unaware of the action.
"I know Governor Nwifuru as a peace-loving leader. I don't believe he approved sending persons with disabilities out without providing another office. I appeal to him to call those involved to order," he said.
Also speaking, the founder and pioneer president of the Nigeria Physically Challenged People's Assembly nationwide, Barrister Joseph Nwabueze Enyi, criticised the planned relocation, alleging that persons with disabilities had not received adequate government attention in recent years.
He claimed that scholarship programmes and other forms of support previously enjoyed by persons with disabilities had declined and urged the governor to reconsider the decision.
"If government needs land for a new project, there are other available locations. The only office occupied by persons with disabilities should not be taken away without first making adequate arrangements for them," Enyi stated.
A former Treasurer of the association, Mrs. Ngozi Michael, also appealed to the governor to preserve the office, describing it as a central meeting point for persons with disabilities across the state.
She recalled that the state's First Lady, Mrs Uzoamaka Nwifuru had previously visited the office during activities marking the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Meanwhile, the contractor handling the renovation, Builder Alexander Ofoke, said he acted strictly on the instructions of the Ministry of Health.
Ofoke explained that he was engaged by the ministry after conducting an assessment of the facility several months ago and only mobilised to site after receiving approval to commence work.
"I know nothing about the ownership dispute. I was instructed to inspect the building, prepare the renovation estimates and commence work after approval was granted," he said.
Responding to the allegations, the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Moses Ekuma, denied claims that the building was officially allocated to the disability group.
Ekuma maintained that the property remained an extension of the Ministry of Health and said government approved its conversion into a South-East Blood Bank to improve emergency healthcare delivery.
"There was never a time government officially allocated this place to persons with disabilities. It has always remained an extension of the Ministry of Health," the commissioner said.
He explained that the blood bank would complement the state's Emergency Medical and Ambulance Service and ensure timely delivery of blood to hospitals, particularly for women suffering postpartum haemorrhage and victims of road traffic accidents.
"We discovered from our monthly maternal death reviews that excessive bleeding after childbirth remains one of the leading causes of maternal mortality. Establishing a functional blood bank will help save lives across the state," Ekuma said.
The commissioner disclosed that the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Lawrence Ezeogo had been communicating with the association on government's decision and added that discussions were ongoing to provide another office through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.
"The people with disabilities are not being abandoned. Government has agreed to provide them with another office. They are part of us and this administration has continued to carry them along, including enrolling some of them in the state's health insurance scheme," he stated.
Ekuma noted that while issues relating to welfare, subventions and social support fall under the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, the Health Ministry had continued to involve persons with disabilities in its medical outreach programmes and other health interventions.
Lending his voice, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health in the state, 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.
As of the time of filing this report, the dispute remained unresolved, with members of the association insisting they would not vacate the premises until a suitable alternative office was officially provided by the state government.
