At a stakeholder engagement organized by the Gender, Children, and Social Protection Committee of the NDC in Cape Coast on June 23, 2024, Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) expressed their desire to see the NDC take over the reins of government and win the elections on December 7, 2024.

The stakeholder engagement, held at the Cape Coast Hotel, brought together trade unions, artisan associations, and non-trade interest groups as part of the NDC's quest to solicit inputs from ordinary Ghanaians for its manifesto drafting.

More than 20 associations, CSOs, trade unions, the elderly, and Persons with Disabilities from the two constituencies in Cape Coast North and South participated in the Stakeholder Engagement. Similar engagements were held in Essikado-Ketan and Shama on June 22, 2024.

Support for NDC

Speaking on behalf of all physically challenged and disabled people, Emmanuel Sackey, the President of the Cape Coast branch of the Ghana Federation of Disability, said his experience since 1992 has been that the NDC is the most PWD-friendly political party in Ghana.

"Although we have many concerns, what I am about to say is very important to us: we, persons with disabilities, need NDC membership cards. We want to join the great party," Mr. Sackey said through a sign-language interpreter, to rapturous applause from participants at the event.

Appeal for Economic Support

Among other proposals, he also appealed to the NDC Flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, to include a policy that would enable a state-led loan scheme for disabled people at a very low-interest rate to support PWDs with businesses and skills.

Contributions from Various Associations

Twenty other associations took turns to voice their input into the NDC's 2024 Manifesto.

These include the Ghana Hairdressers and Beauticians Association, the GPRTU, the Pragya Association, the Widowhood Group, the Market Women Association, the Musicians Association, and many others.

In a brief interaction with journalists after the event, Nana Oye Bampoe, Chairperson of the NDC's Gender, Children, and Social Protection, said the event had been successful because it elicited pertinent issues of concern for all the associations and disadvantaged groups.



Future Plans for PWDs

"With the persons with disabilities, we have a Disability Desk... we are going to increase the Common Fund, and arrangements for the disbursement of the Common Fund for Persons With Disabilities will be reformed," Nana Oye, a former Gender, Children, and Social Protection Minister, added.

The team from the NDC also visited the Cape Coast School for the Blind and Deaf, where they interacted with the students and donated various food items to the students and staff on behalf of the Flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama.

Ongoing Engagements

In the run-up to the 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary elections, the Committee, in partnership with the Parliamentary Candidates, will hold stakeholder engagements with various stakeholders across Ghana.

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), market women, Persons with Disability (PWDs), the media, and youth groups will be engaged to solicit their contributions for the NDC's people-focused 2024 Manifesto and discuss proposed policy plans to be announced by the John Mahama-Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang NDC campaign.



EK