In a Stakeholder engagement organised by the Gender, Children and Social Protection Committee of the NDC in Cape Coast on 23 June 2024, Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) expressed their desire to see the NDC take over the reins of government and win 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 NDC’s quest to solicit inputs from ordinary Ghanaians as part of its Manifesto drafting.
Over 20 associations, CSOs, Trade unions, the elderly and Persons with Disabilities in 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, the President of the Cape Coast branch of the Ghana Federation of Disability Emmanuel Sackey said his experience since 1992 has been that the NDC is the most PWDs-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 NDC Flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, to include a policy that will 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
20 other associations took turns to voice out their input into the NDC’s 2024 manifesto.
They include, but are not limited to, 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, the Chairperson of NDC’s Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Bampoe, said the event has 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 disbursement of the Common Fund for Persons With Disabilities will be reformed,” Nana Oye Bampoe-Addo, 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 Organisations (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.
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