Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in the Ashanti Region are gearing up for a massive demonstration against the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo-led government for neglecting them.
They intend to hit the streets of Kumasi on Friday, August 25, 2017, to voice out their displeasure over the government’s failure to release their 2% share of the District Assemblies Common Fund to them.
According to them, ever since the New Patriotic Party (NPP) under the leadership of Nana Akufo-Addo regained political power from the National Democratic Congress (NDC), not a single pesewa has been released to them as their share of the Common Fund.
The situation, they noted, is a violation against their rights in accessing the fund, stressing that never will they sit down unconcerned for them to be cheated.
The Administrator of Common Fund, Irene Naa Torshie Addo, has suspended the release of the funds following a register which is being compiled to make the fund accessible to all physically challenged persons.
But the situation has badly affected the PWDs as most of them who are dependent on the Fund cannot go about their normal duties.
Alfred Tebi Amponsah, the Ashanti Regional President of the Ghana Federation for the Disabled, outlining their plans to Kumasi based Abusua 96.5 FM on Wednesday said they shall resist any attempt by the government to neglect them.
“It’s been seven months now since the new government took over but we (PWDs) have not had our share of the District Assemblies Common Fund. We are not beggars, it’s our right and so we will plead with them to release our share of the fund to us to enable us go to school, learn a trade or skills among others. We have made a lot of noise over it but to no avail. And so, coming this Friday, we are going to tell the whole world that during the electioneering campaign, the NPP promised to increase our share of the Common Fund from 2% to 3% but till date we have not even received the 2% share of the Fund. So, we are going to demonstrate against the government for letting us go through pains,” he noted.