The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in collaboration with Plan Ghana, a non-governmental organization, on Tuesday organized a forum in Koforidua to celebrate the African Union (AU) Day of the African Child.

The event was declared in solidarity with children of Soweto, South Africa, who were gunned down by the apartheid Government in 1976, when they went on a peaceful march advocating their rights and expressing displeasure about discrimination and apartheid.

This year’s celebration was on the theme: “The Rights of Children with Disabilities: The Duty to Protect, Respect, Promote and Fulfill”.

Mr. Francis K. Kumi, New Juaben Municipal Director of the NCCE, said that issues concerning disabled persons were considered crucial worldwide.

He cited that in 1989, the United Nations instituted the Convention on the Rights of the Child to promote the rights of children, and the 1992 Constitution also deals with the rights of the disabled.

Mr. Tetteh Quarshie, Deputy Eastern Regional Director, Social Welfare, noted that sometimes the eating of poor nutrition, intake of hard drugs, alcohol, and smoking and failure to attend antenatal among others on the part of pregnant women resulted in their giving birth to deformed babies.

Mr. Quarshie said people with disabilities should be given equal opportunities to harness their potentials.**