National Paralympic Committee petitions Akufo-Addo over omission from LOC for African Games

The National Paralympic Committee (NPC), the body in charge of physically challenged sports in the country have petitioned President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo over their exclusion from the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of the 2023 African Games.

President Akufo-Addo, earlier in the week inaugurated a nine-member committee to begin preparations for the hosting of the games.

The Committee is chaired by Dr Kwaku Ofosu-Asare, a lecturer at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College, sports enthusiast and a onetime Administrator and Human Resource Manager of Ashanti Goldfield Company Limited.

The other members are Dr. Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah, the current Technical Advisor on sports at the Youth and Sports Ministry, who would be Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the LOC, Mr. Reks Brobby, a former Olympian and an accomplished sports event organizer, would be the Committee's Deputy Chief Operating Officer, and Dr. Mrs. Beatrice Dwumfour Williams, a Clinical Psychologist and University Lecturer and a Board Member of the National Sports Authority.

The rest were Mr. Dan Kwaku Yeboah, a Sports Journalist; Mr. Ahmed Osumanu, a Communication Consultant to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Mr. Ben Nunoo Mensah, President, Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), Ms. Eva Okyere, a Lawyer and Ms Joyce Datsa, a Sports Administrator.

The omission of members of the NPC from the committee has compelled them to write to the president about what it asserts to be a ‘genuine oversight’.

In a statement copied to www.ghanaweb.com the NPC stated that with Ghana hosting the Africa Paralympic Games which will happen simultaneously with the main games, it is unfortunate that it has been excluded from the committee charged with making Ghana deliver a memorable tournament.

“We bring to your notice the omission of the NPC-Ghana in the formation of the board as Ghana will also be hosting the 2023 African Para Games which will happen simultaneously or immediately after the able-bodied games”.

“This is very unfortunate and disturbing as it seems to undermine the Paralympic Movement and for that matter the NPC-Ghana and the role and mandate it plays in the development and promotion of Para sports and persons with disability here in Ghana”.

The NPC also drew the attention of the president to their contribution to the development of sports in the country as well as the wellbeing of the physically challenged.

It also appealed to the president to grant them audience to deliberate on the above-stated problem as well as other pertinent issues facing the physically-challenged sports in the country.

“We humbly request a meeting with your good office to further elaborate on adequate steps to be taken to ensure and foster equality and inclusion which we believe will propagate the name of Ghana on the international stage”, part of the statement read.

Below is the full statement

THE PRESIDENT
13/10/2020
REPUBLIC OF GHANA

JUBILEE HOUSE

ACCRA – GHANA.

Attention: Chief of Staff

Dear Sir,

INAUGURATION OF THE 2023 ALL AFRICAN GAMES ORGANIZING BOARD
The National Paralympic Committee of Ghana (NPC-Ghana) extends greetings to your good office.

Sir, we are aware of the inauguration of the Organizing Board for the 2023 All African Games that Ghana will be hosting. We bring to your notice the omission of the NPC-Ghana in the formation of the board as Ghana will also be hosting the 2023 African Para Games which will happen simultaneously or immediately after the able bodied games. This is very unfortunate and disturbing as it seems to undermine the Paralympic Movement and for that matter the NPC-Ghana and the role and mandate it plays in the development and promotion of Para sports and persons with disability here in Ghana.

As we speak, through constant talks and engagement with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), Ghana has been selected as one of three countries in Africa as beneficiaries of the Sports Against Stigma (SaS) Project – A four year project funded by the Department of International Development (DFID-UK) and delivered by the IPC and the University of Lougborough for which your Excellency granted a travel exemption for the consultant to travel from Germany to Ghana during the Covid-19 travel ban. This project, managed by Global Disability Innovation Hub is part of a £19.8m global programmme aimed at harnessing academic excellence, innovative practice and co-creation to tackle challenges around disability.

We have engaged key stakeholders in all preliminary discussions regarding this project despite the fact that we are the implementing entity yet the same courtesy has not been extended to the NPC. We are currently in the process of planning an official launch of the initiative with hopes that your office would join. Under the current leadership, our partnership engagement has seen several international partners expressing their interest to work together with the NPC. For the first time NPC Ghana has developed a strategic plan aimed at monitoring and evaluating our action plans for 2019-2024.

Kindly allow us to lay down some facts:

• NPC Ghana is officially recognized by the IPC and the African Paralympic Committee as the legitimate governing body for Para Sports in Ghana and has therefore been the main contact for all previous correspondences/technical engagements of the Paralympic Games and the All African games respectively.

• Since the all African Games 2003 -2015 Ghana Para Athletes have contributed to 25% of national medal count despite the fact that only two disciplines were represented i.e. Para Athletics and Para Powerlifting as compared to Able bodied sports that had over 10 disciplines at the Games.

• The omission of the Para Games in the 2019 All African Games in Morocco was partly contributed by the division in the management of Able bodied and Para Games. This mistake is something that we should not repeat as a nation hosting an event of this capacity for the first time. Additionally, even in hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the planning and management is handled by a joint committee.

• Without undermining the professionalism of the nine member committee it is with conviction that we can say none of the members can serve the interest of the Paralympic Movement and advice technically on Para Sports because none of them have any experience in the Paralympic Movement and the effective delivery of Para sporting activities. At the bare minimum how can we guarantee that the facility being constructed will cater to accessibility needs and requirements? As Per the disability act [Act 715], owners or occupiers of public buildings are required to make their buildings accessible to and available for use by persons with disabilities.

As we speak the national sports stadium of Ghana and even the Ministry of Youth and Sports have no accessibility for persons with disability. National media continues to mention the success of Para Athletes as ‘Para Olympics’ as opposed to ‘Paralympics’ which is the wrong terminology and goes to show the lack of awareness when it comes to covering Para Sports and the Paralympic Movement. This is a direct outcome of what happens when you lack representation of key stakeholders in decision making processes and engagements.

It is on the premise of all the above mentioned reasons that we fail to understand an omission of this capacity. We believe that this was a genuine oversight due to inadequate briefing from relevant government agencies and would therefore appeal for a revision or addition to the composition of the Local Organizing Committee for the All African Games/African Para Games in 2023.

We humbly request a meeting with your good office to further elaborate on adequate steps to be taken to ensure and foster equality and inclusion which we believe will propagate the name of Ghana on the international stage.

Lastly, we would like to express our sincerest gratitude for the swiftness with which you acted on our request for travel exemption for the consultant contracted by the International Paralympic Committee to travel to Ghana during the Covid-19 travel ban to steer and oversee the commencement of the SaS Project.

We are certain that this project will greatly contribute to the development of persons with disability including those in sports and increase the Para athlete representation of Ghana in Mega Sporting Event.

SAMSON DEEN
PRESIDENT