General News of Friday, 7 August 2009

Source: GNA

Deaf Men Hearing: More calls for probe

Accra, Aug. 7, GNA - The Centre for Employment of Persons with Disabilities (CEPD) has called for the setting up of a Commission of Enquiry into the Deaf Sport Australia Saga.

"We call on the Ghana Police Service and the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) to thoroughly investigate the allegation and prosecute those who will be found guilty," Alexander Kojo Tetteh, Executive Director of CEPD said in a statement.

Tetteh in a statement copied to GNA Sports noted that the alleged actions of James Armah, the Secretary General of the Association of Sports for the Disabled, was a testimony to how Persons with Disability (PWD) have treated and exploited in the country over the years. "CEPD have noticed that such attitude towards PWD's have not improved since the passage of the Disability Law in 2006. The Disability Act 715 makes provision against the exploitation of PWD's. "Section (4) of the Act states, 'A person shall not discriminate against, exploit or subject a person with disability to abusive or degrading treatment'".

Tetteh regretted that service providers in Ghana are flouting the law and infringing on the rights of PWD's without any punishment. "It is about time the Attorney General, the Judiciary and the Ghana Police Service ensures that issues concerning maltreatment against PWD's are handled with all seriousness that it deserves to serve as a deterrent to others.

"The state has the responsibility to protect weaker members of the society so that nobody takes advantage of the other."