Persons with disability (PWDs) have reminded President Akufo-Addo to fulfil his manifesto promise of giving fair representation to them in his appointments.
The move follows the exclusion of PWDs from the list of ministerial nominees that have been presented to Parliament by the President for consideration as substantive ministers.
President Akufo-Addo has been naming those he intends to serve as ministers and presidential staffers to govern the country for the next four years.
So far, some appointments have been made to occupy positions in the seat of government, while new ministries have also been created in line with the development agenda of the current government.
Concerns
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, the Coordinator of STAR-Ghana’s election project for the inclusion of PWDs, Mr Joshua Makubu, observed that the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFID) was worried that the current administration may not fulfil its 2016 manifesto promise.
“We have very educated and competent members who have the capacity to handle political positions. Some of our members have played pivotal roles in the 2016 campaign by various political parties, especially in the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
“During the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, there was one minister of state, so we expect that the NPP should, at least, maintain or improve upon that in line with its promise on page 125 of its manifesto for 2016,” he said.
According to him, it was when PWDs were given political appointments that they would be able to influence policy decisions that would better the lot of disabled persons.
“Most of the time, you will hear people advocating the inclusion of women in governance because they are vulnerable. What most people fail to recognise, however, is that disabled persons are even more vulnerable than women and need to be supported,” he added.
Background
Most of the political parties which contested the December 7 polls, including the NDC, the NPP and the Convention People’s Party (CPP), made some policy provisions for disabled persons in their manifestoes.
The group said the continuous sidelining of its members from political appointments by past governments “creates a conducive environment for social exclusion and participation in the development process of the country.”
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