Status of Ghana Disability Council uncertain

From AllAfrica.com:

Uncertainty still hangs over the status of the National Council on Persons with Disability (PWD). The disability community is unclear in their minds whether the purported meetings of the Council could be described as formal or otherwise.

Meeting in Accra on Thursday for the second time this year, members of the Disability Network could not accept that the supposed meetings of the Council were formal since it was yet to be inaugurated.

Even so, Miss Rita Kyeremaa Kusi, Executive Director of the Ghana Federation of the Disabled (GFD), informed the meeting that officials of the Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment saw the meetings of the council as formal.

At the previous meeting of the network in April, Ms Kusi was tasked to arrange a meeting between representatives of the network and the sector Minister, Hon. Nana Akomea.

The Persons with Disability Act (Act 715), 2006 required the establishment of the Council to give impetus to the implementation of the Disability Law. Initially, the disability community was concerned with the delayed constitution of the council.

But in June, during the observance of the Second National Day of the Disabled, PWDs learnt albeit with surprise that the Council was already in place and has been holding meetings.

" I am reliably informed that the Council has been formed and has started its operations," said Hon Paul Okoh, Chairman, Parliamentary Select Committee on Employment, Social Welfare and State Enterprises.

He however acknowledged, "Yes! The Council has not been inaugurated. However, due to its important role it has been given the nod to start its operations."

Hon Akosua Frema Osei Opare, Deputy Minister of Manpower, Youth and Employment confirmed that the council was in place and in fact has been organising meetings. She also confirmed that Prof. E. Gyimah Boadi was the Chairman of the Council.

At Thursday's meeting, Hon Yaw Ofori Debra, Vice President in charge of Advocacy, GFD, stirred a debate when he inquired about the status of the meetings of the council; whether formal or informal.

Mr. Alexander Tetteh, Administrator of the Ghana Society for the Physically Disabled (GSPD), said as long as the council was not inaugurated its meetings were unofficial.

Sonia Kwami of the Voluntary Services Overseas agreed with GSPD official. She tied the formalness of the meetings to the inauguration of the council.

Hon Okoh stated previously that the inauguration had not been done "because we want it to be done by the President."

Perhaps, still relevant is Mr. Ofori Debra's onetime observation that "the soul of the Disability Act resides in the Council."