The Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has outlined strategies that would be employed by his administration towards ending all forms of discrimination against persons living with disabilities when he becomes President of Ghana.

The flagbearer hopeful of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has vowed to superintend the implementation of key reforms to cater for the PWDs and ensure they are not marginalised in society.

“As a social democrat and also a proud Pan-Africanist, I further pledge that when I become President of this country, I will ensure that the needed reforms in our social and governance structure are carried out to provide limitless opportunities for persons with disabilities,” he said as he addressed the press in Accra Tuesday.

Key among these interventions would include “huge investments into public education and sensitization against economic and social discrimination, tax incentives and reliefs to create employment in the private sector for PWDs.”

The Nadowli Kaleo MP’s comments are in reaction to the recent public criticisms against him for his "attack” on two former Ministers who served under the previous NDC government led by John Dramani Mahama.

According to him, the appointment of a stammerer, Dr Omane Boamah and Dr Seidu Danaa, a blind person as Communications Minister and Chieftaincy Minister respectively was a mistake which greatly contributed to the poor performance of the Mahama-led NDC government.

“I learnt from tradition that it is not the chief that speaks, it is the linguist and, so, when you are a leader, you must have a very good linguist.

"When Prof [Atta Mills] was in power, Haruna Iddrisu was our linguist in charge of communication, when my brother John [Mahama] came to power, he substituted him for Dr Omane Boamah who is a natural stammerer,” the Nadowli Kaleo MP said during his tour of the Volta Region.



“He is a very intelligent boy, he is smart but when he is speaking, he wastes time in coming out and Ghanaians do not have that much patience, so, they are always looking for those that are rattling. So, even though you might have a good message, you will not succeed in marketing that message because somebody is there from the other side rattling and they are listening to him, so, we came down,” he added.

Mr. Bagbin, who said his comments were misconstrued, has however apologised and taken “full responsibility for the indiscretion in going public with issues that should otherwise be private to the NDC.”