PWDs want 50 per cent increase of allocation

The Agona West Municipal Branch of the Ghana Federation of the Disabled (GFD) has appealed to the Government to increase the two per cent of the District Assemblies Common Fund, allocated to Persons With Disabilities, to three per cent.

Mr. Kofi Asante, the Branch Chairman, said the current level of percentage was not adequate, and this was worsened by the undue delays and difficulty in assessing the fund at the various assemblies, during its eventual disbursal.

He made the appeal during the Agona West Edition of the newly introduced “President Mahama’s Easter Celebration with Persons With Disabilities (PWDs)” at Agona Swedru, on Tuesday.

The programme, launched this Easter, is an initiative of President John Mahama and the Central Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) to put smiles on the faces on PWDs and make them feel loved during the festive occasion.

Five districts in the Central Region, comprising the Mfantseman, Ekumfi, Agona East, Agona West and Assin North, benefitted from the pilot edition while other districts are expected to benefit in the subsequent annual celebrations.

Each district received GH¢ 2,000.00 bags of rice, bails of slightly used clothes, mosquito nets, packaged cooked rice, beverages and bags of water.

There was also free health screening of their blood pressure and weight and based on findings, given medical advice and referrals.

Mr. Asante appealed to the Government to facilitate the work of the Agona West School for the Deaf project, which according to him, had stalled and expressed gratitude to the President and the RCC for their benevolence.

Responding to the appeal to increase their Common Fund allocation, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Mrs. Nana Oye Lithur, who was at the event, gave the assurance that the Ministry would forward the request to Parliament for consideration.

She said the Ministry and the National Council of Persons with Disability (NCPD) had liaised with the various assemblies to ensure the swift disbursement of the fund had also initiated investigation into the issues surrounding the disbursement of the fund.

The Minister disclosed that 10 employment facilities had been designed for 10 PWDS in all regional capitals with 10 trained social welfare officers and 10 heads of social services Sub-Committees of the various assemblies as supervisors.

Mrs. Lithur said the NCPD was also drafting a Legislative Instrument (LI) for the Disability Act and appealed to the public to comply with Section Six of the Disability Act, which required owners of structures to make their facilities disability friendly.

She appealed to the Disability Council to develop a plan to facilitate compliance as soon as practicable for the compliance since the period for compliance of the legal obligation would soon expire.

She described the newly introduced annual Easter celebration as a testimony of the Government’s recognition of the challenges confronting PWDs and called for an all-hands-on- deck approach to develop the country.

Mr. Aquinas Tawiah Quansah, Central Regional Minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Mfantseman Constituency, promised to ensure the continuation of work on the stalled Agona West School for the deaf project

He reiterated that sign interpreters to be engaged at the various public institutions, especially health facilities, to enhance healthcare delivery to PWDs and urged PWDs to join their associations in order to benefit from packages sent them.

At the Agona East Constituency, Mrs. Queenstar Pokua Sawyer, MP for the Constituency, who is also the Deputy Regional Minister called on philanthropists to complement Government’s efforts of ensuring that PWDs did not feel neglected.

She advised PWDs to invest the funds allocated to them by Government and others stakeholders in profitable ventures.