People Living With Disability Stage Protest Over Suspension Of Member

Vehicular movement and economic activities were grounded on Wednesday in Yenagoa as Persons Living with Disabilities protested alleged suspension of a member of the group from office.

The suspended member of the group is a deputy bursar at the state-owned Niger Delta University (NDU).

Commuters traveling to the university town of Amassoma and Tombia in Southern Ijaw and Yenagoa Local Government Areas of Bayelsa were stranded for hours along the Edepie corridor as the protest lasted.

The deputy bursar was allegedly barred from contesting for the vacant position of a substantive bursar on account of his physical disability.

The protesters who converged at the popular Tombia Roundabout where they staged their protest were led by the State Chairman of Persons Living with Disabilities (PLWD) Eric Ikilowei.

They brandished placards with various inscriptions condemning the suspension of the deputy bursar and asking the vice-chancellor of the varsity to vacate office.

Police operatives fired teargas to disperse the protest after failed attempts by some senior officers to bring the protest to a halt.

Ikilowei said the protest was called after several efforts to reach out to the state government to wade into the matter did not yield any result.

He said that the last time they protested and were invited by the Commissioner of Police; he was detained and taken to court.

He appealed to Governor Douye Diri to wade into the matter and called on the vice-chancellor to reinstate the deputy bursar of the institution.