By Dennis Peprah
Sunyani, Oct. 5, GNA – The Ghana Federation of Persons with Disabilities (GFPDs), a minority group, has advocated for a quota of the government appointee representations at the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the country.
That, the Federation said, would not only make their voices heard, but also empower people with disabilities (PWDs) to contribute meaningfully to decision-making processes at the local levels.
The Electoral Commission is expected to hold the nationwide District Level Elections (DLEs) by December this year, when the four-year term of the current assembly members would have elapsed.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, Mr Isaac Owusu Ansah, the Bono Regional President of the GFPDs, said PWDs required representation at the assembly levels to seek their general well-being.
He said although some of the physically challenged people were entrepreneurs and public sector employees who paid their taxes regularly, it was unfortunate they were denied some basic rights, especially in accessing social and health facilities.
This is because most MMDAs had failed to capture and address the needs of the physically challenged in their Four-Year Long Term Development Plans, Mr Ansah said.
He said regrettably, most public buildings and facilities, including public toilets were unfriendly to PWDs, unable to access them.
“That is why we are advocating for a quota, for the government to appoint some of our members to be at the forefront and champion the cause of the physically challenged at the assemblies.”
“We have competent and hardworking people who can also contribute meaningfully to decision-making processes at the local level,” but because of their conditions, it was extremely difficult for them to join the race and contest in the upcoming DLEs, though some of their members had the interest,” he said.
So the surest way we can represent our people and champion their fundamental human rights and privileges is for the government to consider and include us in its appointees at the assemblies,”Mr Ansah indicated.
He said the significant disability population was also contributing in diverse ways to national development, hence the need for the MMDAs to capture and tackle their pressing needs proactively.
GNA