The Joint Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) has said its members were excluded from palliative distribution during the COVID-19 lockdown in Kano State, Northwest Nigeria.
The Vice-Chairman of the association in Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ahmad Tudun Wada, stated this in an Interview with newsmen at the commencement of a three-day training organised for Media and Civil Society organisation by Action Against Hunger, a non- governmental organisation.
He said when Kano State government commenced the palliatives distribution on the basis of “four people per ballot box”, the association was surprised over the method used for the distribution.
”Our expectation was whenever government decided to distribute palliatives or any aid, people with disabilities would be at the forefront but we were excluded,” Tudun Wada said.
He said the association had over one million members and wondered why they were excluded in the sharing of palliatives.
He said but for the intervention of a traditional title holder, Alhaji Mu’awiya Abbas Sanusi, Dan-Makwayon Bichi and District Head of Tsanyawa, members of the group would not have received anything.
Tudun Wada said, “our people suffered during the disbursement of palliatives.”
The Kano State government had distributed food items, including rice, millet and oil to citizens as COVID-19 palliatives on the basis of four persons per family.
In Nigeria most people with disability live on the street, sometimes without families.
