The Ghana Federation of Disabilities (GFD) has praised the Municipal and District Assemblies in the Upper East Region for their efforts in representing persons with disabilities in their recent Assembly member appointments.
According to the laws governing the appointments of assembly members in the country, at least, one of the appointees must be a person with a disability.
But that was not the case in the region previously. In Assemblies before the current ones, the GFD had expressed disappointment when only two out of the 15 Assemblies appointed members from the association, failing to meet their expectation of 100 percent representation. However, in a remarkable turnaround, 12 out of the 15 Assemblies have now appointed persons with disabilities to represent the interests of the association.
Speaking to A1News, the Upper East Regional President of the GFD, Mark Akubire Atiah, expressed excitement and gratitude, saying, “We are thrilled to see that our concerns have been heard and addressed. This inclusive representation is a significant step towards empowering persons with disabilities in our region.”
According to Mr. Akubire, only Garu, Nabdam, and Bawku assemblies do not have GFD members fully represented. In the case of Bawku and Garu, the GFD is yet to elect their local leaders. But in the Nabdam district, the leadership of the association is not convinced that the individual appointed to represent them is indeed a person with disability and does not represent their interests.
The GFD commended the Assemblies for their commitment to disability representation and encouraged them to continue promoting inclusivity and accessibility in their decision-making processes.
This development is a testament to the power of advocacy and collaboration, ensuring that voices of persons with disabilities are heard and represented at the local governance level.
Source: A1Radioonline.Com|101.1MHz|David Azure|Bolgatanga|
