A recent tour of the capital city saw at least twenty (20) mentally challenged persons at vantage areas; mostly around the central business centres.

 A major concern is their harassment of road users and pilfering of items from shops with impunity.

Others were seen piling and littering the streets with rubbish.

Their activities residents say threaten their security. Some residents who spoke to Citi News recounted how they were physically harassed by the mentally challenged in their homes and offices.

Although comprehensive plans were made after Ghana’s Independence to build additional six psychiatric and rehabilitation centres to the existing three facilities, to accommodate the growing number of psychiatric patients in the country, those plans are yet to materialize.  

The absence of rehabilitation facilities in the Volta region and the congestions at the existing facilities in Accra, Pantang and Akaful has exposed the weak support systems in the Ghana, for the mentally disabled.  

This has renewed concerns over the implementation of the defunct Mental Health Law. Although Ghana has ratified a number of international human rights treaties, including the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the implementation of the Mental Health Law which was enacted in 2012 has been a major setback towards the protection of Persons with mental disabilities and the improvement of mental health services.

The situation apart from creating an unhealthy socioeconomic environment is a crucible for the infringement of fundamental rights of such mentally challenged as they are susceptible to torture and other inhumane treatments from persons who feel threatened by their activities.

Clearly, there is the need to remove such persons from the streets, house them in decent environments and provide them with adequate health care services.

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By: King Nobert Akpablie/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Additional 126 will be engaged later this month.  The move, according to the Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr. Kwasi Amoako-Atta, is in line with an initiative by the government to create employment opportunities for PWDs in ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).

Mr. Amoako-Atta made this observation at Pobi Asaawa, near Amasaman in the Ga West Municipality of the Greater Accra Region, on Tuesday, at the launch of an initiative by the ministry to recruit 200 PWDs as road toll collectors in all 35 booths across the country.

Launch

The launch, which was done in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD), brought together government officials, traditional rulers and a section of the public.

Deputy Ministers of Roads and Highways and Information, Messrs Anthony Abayifa Karbo and Perry Okudzeto, were also at the launch.

Directive

The minister said the recruitment of the PWDs was to give real meaning to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s directive to all MDAs to reserve special positions for PWDs.

“The New Patriotic Party (NPP) made a commitment in its 2016 manifesto to empower PWDs by providing them with job opportunities that will make life decent for them.

“When I appeared before the Appointments Committee of Parliament to be vetted as a minister designate, I personally made the commitment to reserve 50 per cent of employment opportunities at the 35 tollbooths in the country to PWDs. Today’s event is a manifestation of that commitment and the beginning of more initiatives to empower PWDs,” he said.

He observed that the government would come up with more policy initiatives that would address the key challenges physically challenged persons faced and also integrate them into the wider society.

“PWDs should not be seen as an economic burden. Rather, they constitute an untapped population with enormous potential that has to be harnessed to support the national development agenda,” he said.

Mr Amoako-Atta urged other government agencies, as well as the private sector to reserve employment opportunities for PWDs.

Good initiative

The President of Ghana Federation of the Disabled, Mr Yaw Ofori-Debrah, lauded the government for the initiative, describing it as a giant step and an important milestone that would address the challenges of PWDs.

“The launch of this initiative is important because it will improve the economic condition of PWDs and also enhance their social image,” he stated.

Mr Ofori-Debrah said PWDs were satisfied with the level of engagement and involvement of the GFD towards rolling out the initiative and appealed to the government to come up with more of such programmes to support PWDs.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA), Mr Victor Owusu, gave an assurance that the right mechanisms would be put in place to guarantee the safety of all PWDs in the tollbooths.

He said there would be no discrimination against PWDs at the tollbooths.

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Source: Graphic.com.gh

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According to the Federation, offering a ministerial appointment to a person with a ‘disability’, will help have their concerns addressed by government.

Speaking at a ceremony to mark the International Day for Persons living with disability, the Secretary of the Federation, Rev James Amurugu, said although very little was said about the state of persons with disability during the President’s electioneering campaign tour, he must consider issues about persons with disability as one of his priority areas.

“During his campaign, even though little was heard about issues of persons with disability, he should endeavor to take persons with disability as one of his priority areas by considering PWDS in his appointments.”

He added that, Former President Mahama’s administration had a visually impaired Minister of State; Dr. Seidu Danaa in his government, and the new President must draw lessons from that.

Other members of the Federation suggested that Nana Akufo-Addo appoints a person with disability to be the Minister of Education, so that challenges of accessibility to educational facilities will be addressed.

“If the Minister of Education is a person with disability, we know that definitely, schools will be accessible… we know how to handle our situations, and we can deal with issues that affects persons with disability.”

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @jnyabor

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The Municipal Chief Executive, Christina Kobinah, who presented the money, said the government has been consistent with the disbursement of the two percent of the District Assemblies Common Fund set aside to provide educational support for persons with disabilities.

She entreated the beneficiaries to put the money they had received to good use.

The MCE advised Persons with Disability not to allow their predicament to have an effect on them.

Mrs. Kobinah said disability did not symbolize inability so people who were physically challenged should endeavor to live better lives.

She cautioned people to live in peace with their neighbours as the country prepared to go to the polls on December 7.
One of the beneficiaries, Mr. Emmanuel Yankey, on behalf of his colleagues, expressed gratitude to the government and assembly for the continuous assistance.

He encouraged all persons with disability to refrain from begging on the streets and rather register with their associations to enable them to access the fund.

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Source: GNA

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The workshop organized by the EC and sponsored by the European Union (EU) brought together members of the Ghana Federation of the Physically disabled, Ghana Association of the Deaf and the Ghana Blind Association.

They were educated on some highlights of the new Constitutional Instrument (CI94) covering the 2016 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

The Northern Regional EC Director,  Bruce Ayisi assured the participants that they would be given preferential treatment on the day of the polls.

The participants suggested that the demarcated polling stations should be accessible to all  Persons Living With Disabilities (PWDs).

They also called on that the EC to engage the services of interpreters to coach the PWDs on the elections day.

A Deputy Northern Regional EC Director, Benjamin Banoh-Bio said the EC had already directed all district Directors to relocate poling stations that are inaccessible to the PWDs.

He also encouraged the PWDs to introduce themselves to the polling or presiding officers on the voting day.

By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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