By Edward Williams, GNA
Hohoe (V/R), Nov. 14, GNA - Mr. Augustine Yaw Asangba, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Hohoe Chapter of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD) has called on government to ensure the full participation of members of the Federation in local governance.
He called for more education and sensitisation for members of the Federation on the impending referendum and district level elections to keep them abreast with emerging issues on the subjects.
Mr Asangba who is also the Volta Regional Secretary of the Ghana Blind Union made this call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on preparations of the Federation ahead of the District Level Elections (DLE) slated for December 17.
He asked government to make funds available to enable the Federation to train visually impaired on how they could be able to vote themselves.
Mr Asangba said there were some visually impaired who had attained 18 years of age and needed to be educated through workshops or community-based groups and called on the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and the Electoral Commission (EC) to come on board in intensifying the education.
He said although participation in local governance was opened to the citizenry, discriminatory remarks and derogatory campaign messages against the physically challenged and lack of finance had limited the involvement of PWDs.
Mr Asangba noted that the absence of some disability friendly provisions at the local government level such as lack of interpreters at Assembly meetings discouraged PWDs from appreciating and fully participating in national discourse.
He said the GFD had in its small way from the national and district levels organised workshops for its members to encourage and motivate them to participate in the local government, but needed support from government and other stakeholders.
When the GNA contacted Mr. Elolo Kofi Agyei, President of the Volta/Oti Persons With Disabilities (PWDs),he said he took interest in participating in local governance as a result of a workshop organised by the Federation.
He said derogatory comments about his demeanour, aligning him to a political party and lack of financial support were some challenges he faced when he contested to represent his electoral area.
Mr Agyei said some of his interventions for the electoral area included; enrolling community members onto the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), improving network in the area by ensuring the fixing of a Telecommunication mast with the help of some residents from the area and organizing vacation classes for students in the electoral area.
He said he also made sure PWDs’ quota from the Assembly was distributed to beneficiaries.
GNA checks revealed that a total of 24 PWDs are aspiring as Assembly Members, four as Unit Committee Members in the Volta and Oti regions.
Out of a total of 30 aspirants in the Hohoe Municipality, no PWD is contesting the position of an Assembly Member in the December polls.
GNA
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