For the first time in their history, the over 300 Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in the Kumbungu District of the Northern Region were offered the opportunity to dine and wine with their Member of Parliament (MP) and also share some of their concerns for redress by the MP.

The PWDs were served with plates of fried rice, with chicken and guinea fowl, and assorted soft drinks. Their children were not left out of the end of year get-together, as they equally enjoyed some of the food.

The MP for Kumbungu, Moses Amadu Yahaya, who organized the first ever party said it was meant to bring the PWDs together to have fun, socialize and plan for the years ahead.

He advised PWDs in area to see themselves as capable persons and an integral part of the society and contribute meaningfully to the development of the area, rather than relying on other persons for their survival.

The MP for Kumbungu, who is also one of the PWDs, told them that “disability does not mean inability”, hence they should not resort to begging on the street for living.

Speaking to The Chronicle, the Convention People’s Party (CPP) Member of Parliament called on the society to treat all persons with disabilities with respect just as any other human being.

The MP promised to meet all the 300 persons with disabilities in Kumbungu in the coming Easter festivity and register all of them on the National Health Insurance Scheme, and also collaborate with the Kumbungu District Assembly to see to the proper utilization of their share of the common fund.

According to him, his interaction with the PWDs had made him to realize that they need a lot of support to make life more meaningful for them.

Some of the disabled persons were identified as serious persons who were managing their small scale businesses and required some financial support.

Some are also into petty trading and are using the same business to cater for the educational needs of their children.

The Spokesperson for the PWDs, Ms Ayisha Abukari commended the MP for his encouragement, support and recognition for the disabled persons in the area and called on other MPs across Ghana to emulate his example.

She noted that some of the PWDs were ready to go into petty trading to be able cater for the needs of their families, but did not always get the support.

Ms. Abukari, therefore, appealed to the government to create more opportunities for the PWDs to become self-reliant.

In another development, the MP for Kumbungu, Moses Amadu Yahaya has inspected a five kilometer Sakoba-Dalun feeder road.

The road, which is one of the most deplorable roads in the district, is being given a facelift, following some lobbying made by the MP to get some funding from the Ghana Highway Authority.

The road project is expected to be completed by the end of January 2014, and would serve the transportation of food stuffs and sand for building purposes. In a day, over 200 tipper trucks, fully loaded with sand ply the road.