Persons with disabilities demand five per cent Common Fund

Abuakwa (Ash), Aug 4, GNA - Participants at a workshop to encourage participation of persons with disabilities in the district level elections, have accused district assemblies in the country for deliberately refusing to pay the five per cent sum of the District Assemblies' Common Fund allocated to persons with disabilities. They stated that, while some district assemblies had blatantly refused to pay a pesewa of the percentage sum allotted, others had been paying any amount they wished to persons with disabilities in their districts.

The participants, who were mostly persons with disabilities, had therefore appealed to the administrator of the Common fund and the Ministry of Local Governments and Rural Development and Environment to compel the defaulting district assemblies to pay the monies to them without any further delays.

The workshop was organised by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD), Ghana, in collaboration with the Centre for the Development of People (CEDEP) to sensitise persons with disabilities on the need to be enthusiastic and actively participate in local level decision-making process.

The participants appealed to the President to assent to the Disability Bill and appoint persons with disabilities to the district assemblies, since it would be very difficult for them to compete favourably with able persons in elections.

Mr Yaw Ofori Debrah, President of the Federation of the Disabled, said persons with disabilities, who had demonstrated ability should be encouraged to lobby for political and diplomatic appointments to demonstrate their worth.

He said the Electoral Commission (EC) had a crucial role to ensure that the field was level for all persons to exercise and participate fully in all political elections.

Mr Debrah appealed to the MLRD to appoint persons with disabilities to the district assemblies to enable them advocate for the welfare of their colleagues.

Mr Lawrence Sarpong, Deputy Ashanti Regional Director of EC, said the Commission was mindful of the problems facing persons with disabilities and was taking steps that would enable them participate fully in the electoral process with less difficulty.

He called on the media, NGOs and civil society groups to take active interest in the challenges facing persons with disabilities and encouraged them to assert themselves and participate fully in elections. Mr Baah Boateng, Head of Programmes at the Ashanti Regional Office of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE), commended the CDD for the initiative and said that would ensure that disabled persons would take their rightful positions and contribute to local governance. Mr Charles Sakyi, Deputy Director of CEDEP, called on members in the society to change their attitude towards persons with disabilities, since they could also play a significant role in national development. Mr Abdul Wahab Musah of the CDD said the workshop would provide a platform to legitimise and deepen the political decision making process and promote and protect the rights of the vulnerable and disadvantage in society.