Members of the Joint Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) in Ebonyi State on Saturday staged a protest over the planned conversion of their secretariat in Abakaliki into the proposed South-East Zonal Blood Bank, temporarily trapping renovation workers inside the premises.
The workers, who were hired by the Ebonyi State Ministry of Health to begin renovation of the building, remained locked inside for several hours after protesting members shut the facility’s gate. They were later freed following the intervention of operatives from the Ebonyi State Neighbourhood Watch.
The proposed South-East Zonal Blood Bank is part of a Federal Government initiative aimed at strengthening blood collection, storage, and distribution services across the South-East region.
According to JONAPWD, the protest was triggered by the state government’s decision to convert the association’s office without first providing an accessible alternative location for its members.
The association had earlier demonstrated against the planned takeover about two weeks ago, insisting that persons with disabilities should not be displaced without proper relocation arrangements.
Speaking to journalists, the Ebonyi State Chairman of JONAPWD, Comrade Friday Nwovu, clarified that the association supports the establishment of the regional blood bank but opposed the eviction process without an alternative office.
He disclosed that protest letters had already been submitted to the Ebonyi State Ministry of Health and Governor Francis Nwifuru, adding that the association had yet to receive a satisfactory response.
The situation intensified when ministry officials brought artisans to commence renovation work, prompting association members to lock the entrance and prevent the workers from leaving the premises.
The standoff ended after the Ebonyi State Neighbourhood Watch, led by State Commander Victor Nwenyi, intervened and reopened the gate, allowing the trapped workers to exit peacefully.
Nwovu called on the Ebonyi State Government to engage all relevant stakeholders through dialogue, stressing that relocating persons with disabilities without suitable arrangements would create serious accessibility and welfare challenges.
Responding to the development, the Head of Administration at the Ebonyi State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Charles Nwali, said the government had already allocated a new office to the association at the Rehabilitation Centre, Remand Home, Ugwuachara, Abakaliki, and urged members to relocate.
Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary of the Ebonyi State Ministry of Health, Dr. Lawrence Ezeogo, declined to comment on the incident when approached by journalists.
The protest highlights growing concerns over balancing critical public health infrastructure projects with the rights and welfare of persons with disabilities in Ebonyi State.
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