Blind and Deaf 'metaphor': I'm sorry – Akufo-Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has apologised to Persons with Disability (PWDs) for a statement he made at a political rally at the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency on Tuesday, 29 January 2019 ahead of a by-election scheduled for Thursday, 31 January 2019.

Addressing the crowd, Nana Akufo-Addo said he and his government are fixing Ghana, and that: “It is only the blind and the deaf” who cannot see and experience his achievements in the past 24 months.

Members of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations described the president’s statement as “derogatory” and called on him to retract and apologise.

Nana Akufo-Addo on Sunday, 3 February 2019 in a Facebook post apologised to PwDs and described his statement as a “political metaphor”.

The post read: “Vis-à-vis the comments I made at the final rally prior to the holding of the by-election at Ayawaso West Wuogon, which was won by the NPP candidate so emphatically, I am glad the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations recognises it was a ‘political metaphor’. I did not intend any slight on Persons with Disabilities, nor would I ever, and I hope they know that.

“If there has been any government that has been on the side of Persons with Disabilities, it is my government. We have increased the share of the District Assemblies Common Fund to Persons with Disabilities from 2% to 3%, and we have also ensured the implementation of our pledge of employing 50% of the persons who manage the country’s toll booths from amongst Persons with Disabilities. I apologise for any unintended slight from the ‘political metaphor’”.