The Joint National Association of Persons with disabilities (JONAPWD) Enugu State Chapter have written to the governor, his Excellency Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi appealing for relief materials/palliative for their members because the effect of the lockdown is bringing untold hardship on their members across the state.
In a letter dated 22nd April, 2020, signed by their Chairman, Barrister Gab Chukwundu and the Secretary Augustine Onyeachonam with the title: APPEAL FOR PROVISION OF COVID-19 PALLIATIVES/RELIEFS FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES (PWDs) OF ENUGU STATE WHO WERE NOT COVERED BY THE PREVIOUS PROVISION RELEASES.
The group appreciate the governor for reaching out to their members in five local government areas Udenu, Igboeze north, Oji River, Udi, Nkanu west through the former Chairman JONAPWD Enugu State Chapter,Sam Obiefuna, now functioning as DISABILITY CONSULTZ a private disability organization, who received and distributed the following items:
40 (50kg) bags of rice
200 cartons of Noodles
Bottle water (200 crates)
Drinks (100 crates)
Millet (10 bags)
Guinea corn (10 bags)
Salt (10 bags)
Seasoning (3 cartons)
Tomatoes (3 cartons)
The group is appealing to the governor to reach out to the persons with disabilities in 12 remaining L.G.A who have NOT gotten any palliatives/relief materials.
The group also informed in their letter that from their data base, they have more PWDs in the urban LGAs living individually with their families which placed the population of these LGAs higher than other rural LGAs.
For the urban LGAs, the population of PWDs according to the group are:
Enugu south 150
Enugu North 130
Enugu East 220
While the other LGAs can be placed at 110 population per LGAs bringing the total population to 1,390 persons with disabilities in the remaining 12 LGAs.
Based on this number above and more.who are going through economic hardship because of the lockdown, the group is calling and appealing on the governor to further give out a second allotment of palliatives/reliefs materials to persons with disability living in the above remaining 12 L.G.As of Enugu State.
We learnt that the first batch of the relief materials were not evenly distributed and the items received didn’t fully get the hands of the beneficiaries so they advised that the governor work with recognized and legitimate umbrella body of persons with disabilities in the state to ensure transparency and accountability in distribution of the relief materials when he release second batch.
The group believe that his Excellency being a man with a large heart who is compassionate, he will release the second batch. The group emphasized the importance of this palliative to PWDs because PWDs are most hit in a time like this and in a time like this also PWDs should be the priority and it is backed by section 25 of Discrimination against Persons with disabilities (Prohibition) act 2018.
