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Dr. Joshua Makubu, the Oti Regional Minister, has entreated the Physically Challenged Workers to always advance their arguments at workplaces to realizes their competencies towards equal opportunities in line of duty.
According to him, the Physically disabled in many occasions are their own problems to allowed themselves for those doing sycophants politics to undermine their competencies at the grassroots level.
Speaking at the Fourth Quadrennial Delegates Conference of the Ghana Union of Physically Disabled Workers and to brainstorm what their changes are as guest speaker, in Kumasi, he said nothing has been done in the manifestos of the previous governments towards the welfare of the disabled including the current governing New Patriotic Party (NPP)since 2017 because the Union failed to follow-up and fight for their right.
According to him, lack of self confidence on the part of people living with disability is a challenged to the membership, and that matter, there is the perception that, they are always favoured in whatever work or opportunity been offered them.
He challenged their members at various workers places and positions especially Chief Executives Officers (CEOs) , Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to demonstrate to prove people right, that they were there for their capabilities and competence.
He stated that, it’s disheartened that, they can not speak for their selves if their right is been infringed upon, says most policies design in their workplaces are normally done by people who does not know anything about disability, and entreated them to disabuse the perception that they always offered opportunities because they were disabled.
Dr Makabu disclosed that, many of the disabled are rejected and denied of several opportunities because the mindset is that, they are not capable, and what one supposed to do would be given to someone, even sometimes, which he said is the mindset of Ghanaians when it’s comes to promotion members are disadvantage.
He stated that, when its comes to qualification for opportunities and promotion, it’s only examination that helps them, but quickly added that, they the members sometimes accepted defeat, hence has make it difficult to reach higher level.
Mr. Simon Osei Mensah, the Ashanti Regional Minister stated that, as part of efforts at building an inclusive society, government will ensure that, persons living with disability have all the opportunity to make living conditions better for themselves and their families just like any other Ghanaian.
This he said is in line with the key principles of the Sustainable Development Goal 4 which seeks to reduce the global challenges of inequality for all people in the society.
According to him, the Goal 4 of the Sustainable Development Goal emphasize that everyone has the potential to unearth his innate talent and potential to face the changes of life.
He noted that, notwithstanding the conscious efforts of the past and present Governments to integrate Persons with Disability into our society through various interventions rolled out, society towards Persons with Disability leaves much to be desired.
He said certain customs, norms and values meted out against Persons with Disability are inhumane and blatantly discriminate and stigmatize persons with Disability.
He disclosed that, we failed to appreciate the fact that, Disability could be the act of God or possibly our action and inaction and therefore, anyone of is could be a victim at any point in time.
He entreated the citizenry not to allow ourselves to be dwarfed by our outward appearance but propelled by our inner potentials that God has deposited in us.
Mr Samuel Annan, National president of the Ghana Union of Physically Disabled Worker, also stressed and admittedly that their challenges are lack self confidence, false assumption that people living with Disability are not capable to undertaken certain tasks and their inability to insist on their rights to champion their welfare, and lack of aids to support the membership drive.
