People with Disabilities Protest lock-down, say it will kill them faster than COVID-19

People Living With Disability (PLWD) have decried the lock down order on some states of the federation by the federal and some state governments in the country’s bid to contain the spread of deadly coronavirus pandemic.

The national Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the PLWD, Comrade Alhassan Ibrahim Ganye, who revealed the association’s position to The Crest  complained that the welfare their members was not factored in before the governments took the decision.

Ganye, who spoke to our reporter on phone, described the decision as “impulsive, harsh and hurting”, adding that it has not only worsened the plight of the PLWDs, it might kill them faster than COVID-19 itself..

“The decision was rash, impulsive and hurting to our members who even before the introduction of the policy were hamstrung by myriads of economic challenges,” Ganje continued.

“We thought the government will provide palliatives for us before introducing the measure. But as I’m talking to you, we are left to our fate.

“With the decision, we are now living between the devil and the deep blue sea without a substantive future,” he said.

He called on the federal government to consider them in the proposed stimulus package in order to cushion the effects of the policy on them.

“We called on the federal government to, as a matter of urgency, consider us in the stimulus or palliative packages being provided to cushion the negative effect of the virus on our families,” he said.