Persons Living With Disabilities (PLWDs) on Monday grounded activities at the Imo state Government House in Owerri, protesting alleged negligence by the state government.
The disabled people, on the platform of Joint National Association of Persons Living With Disabilities, blocked the entrance gate to the Government House and accused Governor Rochas Okorocha of paying lips services to their welfare.
They accused Okorocha of abandoning them since 2011 when he came on board, stressing that he had vehemently refused to pay them their yearly subventions which they claimed were captured in the yearly budget.
The secretary of the group, Jude Okparaeke, while speaking to newsmen, also accused the state government of marginalizing persons living with disabilities in the employment scheme of the state.
He said that out of over 3,000 people employed by the state government, none of them was considered.
Okparaeke said that they would continue to block the government house’s gate until the governor addressed their grievances.
No official was on ground to address the protesters while efforts to get the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Sam Onwuemeodo, were unsuccessful.
