By Aisha Edwards
The Association of People Living with Sickle Cell Disorder, had noted with dismay a misleading statement credited to Mrs Uche Ajuluchukwu, a former Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, accusing the Soludo administration of negligent and abandonment of People with Disabilities since inception, and failing to continue with the policy of his predecessor, Willie Obiano.
The allegations was done in bad taste and was not the true representation of facts as no diligent investigation was carried out by Mrs Ajuluchukwu to be able to arrive at such conclusions. The former diplomat was recently speaking at an event tagged “The journey so far,” to mark the one year anniversary of the Anambra State Disabilities Rights Commission (ANSDRC)
The Association of People Living with Sickle Cell Disorder (APLSCD) whose members also have various forms of physical disabilities, have been grossly cheated and sidelined by the Chairman of ANSDRC, Barr Chukwuka Ezewuzie, from his days as SPAD on disability to Willie Obiano. What an irony of life for Ezewuzie and his team at ANSDRC, because Governor Soludo does not tolerate sycophancy, a tool which he (Ezewuzie) employed fully to mesmerize Obiano into parting with huge funds that ended in his private pockets.
Repeatedly our Association wrote to Ezewuzie in 2020, during the height of COVID-19 for some relief materials meant for people with disabilities of which Sickle Cell persons were legitimately entitled but to no avail. We summed up courage and visited him at his office where he sweet-talked us into writing a proposal which he later adopted for his own pecuniary gains and advantage with the government and cooperate bodies. We are no longer carried away by the silver tongue of Ezewuzie, as it is only meant for sycophancy and praise-singing to gain undue advantages, confront him for what he is, and he will start politicizing the conditions of people with disabilities.
During that same COVID-19 period, Distinguished Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, brought in many container's loads of medical equipments for people with disabilities in Anambra State and handed same over to Ezewuzie. What happened to those medical equipments is a story for another day. What moral grounds does Ezewuzie have to encourage the former diplomat, Mrs Ajuluchukwu to condemn governor Soludo publicly? Ezewuzie has been mistreating his own immediate constituents, denying PWD's of their rights while feigning ignorance.
It is a known fact that both the Anambra State Disability law and Sickle Cell Law was passed at the same period during Willie Obiano administration. And yet the Disability community already has a commission while the sickle cell community has nothing. We continue to simmer in the cauldron of sufferings and neglects, asking patiently that what is rightfully ours be accorded to us directly.
One man like Ezewuzie should not be allowed to determine or have sole control over the endowments of people with disabilities, or we would continue to hear such misleading stories from his cronies. The disability community have coordinators in each local government areas, and the authorities should deal directly with these coordinators inorder that every intervention plans would reach the grassroots.
Aisha Edwards Maduagwu,
Director,
Sickle Cell Orphanage and Underprivileged Home Agulu.
08033222007.