Over 300 protesters under the aegis of Network of People Living With HIV/AIDS on Monday besieged the National Agency for the Control of AIDS office in Abuja to protest against their inability to access anti-retroviral drugs and ongoing withdrawal of financial support to HIV/AIDS by external funding partners.
Their other grievance was the non-implementation of the Comprehensive Response Plan inaugurated by President Goodluck Jonathan to bridge the existing treatment access gaps.
Their protest which disrupted activities in the agency started as early as 6am when the protesters barricaded the office of NACA’s Director-General, Prof. John Idoko, and prevented him and other staff from gaining access into their offices.
The protesters who came with sleeping materials, and displayed placards with different messages threatened to occupy the office for 25 days if their demands were not met.
The Federal Government had appropriated N140bn for the PCRC, out of which only N8bn has been released.
