By Okechukwu Onuegbu
Activist and National Coordinator, Association of Persons Living With Sickle Cell Disorder (APLSCD), Mrs Aisha Edward-Maduagwu has advocated for appointment of a man as commissioner for Women and Social Welfare in Anambra State.
Maduagwu, who made the call in an interview held at Sickle Cell Orphanage Home, Agulu, Anaocha LGA of Anambra State, argued that it was best way to retrieve the ministry from certain cabals trying to run it down under the watch of females.
She also alleged that most women who have held sway as commissioner for women affairs or women and social welfare were not compassionate enough to address the cost of injustices meted on women and downtrodden, especially those living with sickle cell disorder.
According to her, the efforts of the State governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo to make Anambra State liveable, and prosperous to all, especially his visions for the vulnerable groups could be best attained with a man as commissioner in the ministry.
"I have discovered that what Anambra State government needs now is an appointment of a capable and compassionate man to lead the ministry of women and social welfare. Men tend to be more compassionate and show regards to social welfare than females we have seen so far as Commissioners of this ministry in Anambra.
"We also discovered that the females commissioners appointed so far in the ministry were never allowed to operate...they always take instructions and order from a certain retired director from the ministry who is a man. He is retired but still direct affairs and budgets of the ministry.
"All the correspondences, activities, directions and others sent to the ministry always go to the table of the male retired director. He approves and disapproves as he likes. We believed that when a man is appointed as a commissioner he would stand up like a man and overcome the cabals," she alleged.
She recalled how all efforts made by her organisation to obtain license from the ministry for establishment of Sickle Cell Orphanage Home was nearly truncated, even as all the letters written by them to the governor were allegedly sat down by a female commissioner.
This according to her, was also reasons why the Anambra State Sickle Cell Disease (Eradication and Control ) law 2019 had not been fully implemented, thereby leading to deaths of over 25 of them and multiplication of people living with SCD.
Sickle Cell law had provided for establishment of sickle cell monitoring teams across communities to sensitise and prevent intending couples whose genetic combinations are not compatible from marrying, including making medical care accessible to SCD sufferers, establishment of sickle cell homes, inclusion of sickle cell education in primary and secondary schools, among others. However, none of these is working four years after the bill was signed into law by former governor Willie Obiano.
Mrs Edward-Maduagwu further submitted a recent petition she sent to the governor and other stakeholders over their ordeals in the hands of the ministry and some cabals allegedly diverting what government approved for APLSCD.
The excerpts of the petition entitled DANGER IS LURKING AGAIN: PERSONS LIVING WITH SICKLE CELL DISORDER CRY OUT, read
"Inn the last decade, the Association of Persons Living with Sickle Cell Disorder, APLSCD has become a lone but loud voice of advocacy and an umbrella of protection for persons living with sickle cell disorder in Anambra State and beyond. Hitherto, these persons living with this disorder were neglected and left to suffer the pains of a decision that wasn't theirs until they came together under the loving arms of an association to fight and fend for themselves and their cause.
Their cause was simple "allow us to breathe; provide certain welfare that would enable us live a normal life like other persons living with different disorders". In order to achieve this, they began the process of enacting a Sickle Cell Law for Anambra State.
Championed by their leader, Mrs. Aisha Edward Maduagwu, the organisation approached the Anambra State House of Assembly with a Bill for an act to be established for persons living with sickle cell disorder. This act when enacted would protect their rights and also ensure that more persons are not birthed with this disorder that leave its victims in perpetual pains and agony.
After long years of dilly dallying with the Legislative and executive arms of the Anambra State Government, the Anambra State Sickle Cell Act was finally signed into law in 2019 by the then Governor, Chief Willie Obiano.
It was a moment of joy for these persons living with sickle cell disorder, as they were not only remembered but now have their rights protected by law. In that moment all persons and organisations who had been benefitting from the disorder and had placed a stranglehold on them, gradually left the scene.
The organisation has recorded many successes for her members, from paying their school fees, building a vocational training centre in Agulu, providing them immediate and effective healthcare when they need them (which they need quite often), providing welfare needs for them. In a bid to ensure that their members do not continue to suffer the degradation and neglect they often get from their families. The Association created a Home for her members during the height of COVID 19 that took about 24 lives of both the orphaned and underprivileged members due to outright neglect and abandonment. APLSCD provides accommodation, feeding and access to medical care through NAUTH for members whose families have either thrown out or become a thorn in the flesh because of their disorder.
The organisation enjoyed warming support from individuals and organisations, including the past state Government. The wife of the former Governor of the state who rated the association highly for her consistency and dedication, Chief Mrs. Ebele Obiano was one of her biggest benefactors.
However, the demons are back again with their stranglehold on the association and her members, this time from many familiar angles, even from the Ministry of Women Affairs that is supposed to be a protective body for the association.
THE FACTS:
1. As part of APLSCD's drive for its cause, the association paid the commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Ify Obinabo a courtesy visit to intimate her of the activities, challenges and frustrations of the association with the ministry, shortly after she was inaugurated. This visit was very cordial, as she promised to extend warm hands of support and relationship to the association.
However, this would not be the case. The Commissioner has constantly ignored appeals of the Association. This, the association has taken in good faith, and have understood to be possible consequences of not running a home that allows adoption which has been said to be more beneficial and Juicy to the ministry, and as such the association is likely perceived as a liability to the state by the commissioner since SCD persons are considered not adoptable.
2. Section 10: sub section 3: of the Sickle Cell Disease (Control and Eradication) Law, 2019 stipulates persons qualified to be a member of the monitoring team of sickle cell disorder in the state. One of the category of these persons is a member of the Association of Persons Living with Sickle Cell Disorder amongst other members from different medical professions.
However, the former Commissioner of Health, Mr. Vincent Okpala neglecting all advice from well meaning Anambrarians withdrew members of the APLSCD who were first on the monitoring team and replaced them with individuals who are not in the medical field nor living with sickle cell disorder. This is a clear contravention of the stipulations of the Anambra State Sickle Cell law.
2. In order to achieve their agenda of using Sickle Cell Disorder as a business enterprise hiding under the cover of the state government. These individuals Mrs. Chinwe Nnagbo and Miss Ifunanya Faithmicheal Nwanadile joined the association with the guise of working for their selfish and criminal cause, claiming that their children were living with sickle cell disorder. Unknown to the association they were working towards cloning the Association's activities and exploiting the association to their advantage.
3. When the association found out their ulterior motives and disbanded them from the association they started a parallel association in cohort with the commissioner for child and Women Affairs, who offered them Government protection to also operate a deceptive home (Chiemma Community Children Home) using Sickle Cell as their initial front, just to hoodwink the unsuspecting government functionaries to patronise their adoption racketting business and looting what naturally should go to persons living with Sickle Cell disorder.
4. June 19, is World sickle cell Day, and APLSCD have always organised events to commemorate this day every year for the past 8 years. For 2023, the event was moved to June 20, 2023 and invitations sent to benefactors and relevant government agencies to that effect.
This year's event was a special one for the Association as it was organised in partnership with Anambrara State Primary Health Agency. In order to ensure full participation of the state government, an official invitation was extended to the commissioner of Women Affairs. Hon. Mrs Ify Obinabo and this invitation was duly acknowledged.
5. Unknown to APLSCD, Mrs. Chinwe Nnagbo And the commissioner for Women Affairs, had another Agenda for this world commemoration. They organised a pararrel event, where they hired persons who claimed to be living with sickle cell disorder, in order to collect welfare materials from the wife of the Governor and top government functionaries.
6. It is worthy to note that APLSCD aren't against anybody or organisation organising events to commemorate the World Sickle Cell Day, as such advocacy is much needed in the cause. However, it is a criminal intent when such organisers hire people and label them as persons living with sickle cell disorder just to hoodwink the public and government into providing support, yet they operate with several conflicting names like Chiemma Empowerment Foundation which has no business or link with sickle cell advocacy.
7. Donations meant for persons living with sickle cell disorder in Anambra State where diverted by Mrs Chinwe Nnagbo and her cohorts.
8. If truly, Mrs Chinwe Nnagbo meant well with her program, how many persons living with sickle cell disorder in the state did she reach out to with the donations she received on June 20, 2023 on behalf of them.
9. Mrs. Chinwe Nnagbo did not stop at this, she started an orphanage home which she claims are for persons living with sickle cell disorder but in reality none of the inmates of the said orphanage home are persons living with sickle cell. A further investigation could reveal that these inmates may be hired and used to gain funds from benefactors.
10. It is clear that Mrs Chinwe Nnagbo and her cohorts have business interests and not philanthropic interests for the sickle cell cause they claim to be promoting.
11. The actions of Mrs Chinwe Nnagbo and the Commissioner for Women Affairs are threats to the actual persons living with the sickle cell disorder especially in Anambra state.
12. It was because of this menace that APLSCD fought hard to ensure that the sickle cell bill is passed into law in 2019 to protect the lives of persons living with Sickle Cell Disorder.
13. It is worthy to note that the Governor Soludo led administration has been supportive to the Association, particularly through the ministry of health, as the Commissioner of health, Dr. Afam Obidike Ensured that members of the Sickle Cell Orphanage and Underprivileged Home Agulu were enrolled into the Anambra State Health insurance scheme.
APPEAL:
Members of Association of Persons Living with Sickle Cell Disorder, appeal to the State Governor, Commissioner for Health and well meaning Anambrarians to please come to her aid to put an end to these shenanigans that has endangered and continue to endanger the lives of persons living with sickle cell disorder in Anambra State.
The Anambra State Sickle Cell law must be respected.
Signed:
Aisha Edward Maduagwu.
National Coordinator,
APLSCD and Director,
Sickle Cell Orphanage and Underprivileged Home
Agulu.
08033222007"