GFD threatens legal action against district assemblies

Kumasi, Feb. 20, GNA- Members of the Ghana Federation of the Disabled (GFD) have appealed to metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to abide by the law that mandates them to cede five per cent of their share of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF). The law directs the District Assemblies to cede the five per cent of the Common Fund to support the socio-economic activities of disable persons in their respective districts.

Mr Yaw Ofori Debrah, President of GFD said the association would soon start legal action against district assemblies, which do not abide by the law.

He said the action had become necessary due to the persistent refusal of some district assemblies to give members in the districts the required amount mandated by the law governing the sharing of the DACF. Mr Debrah was speaking at a seminar on public education and dissemination of the disability Act, Act 715 in Kumasi on Tuesday. The seminar, which was organised by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), was part of a nation-wide project to disseminate the provisions in the Act.

Mr Debrah pointed out that Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) were alive to their rights and would use all legal means available to ensure that they received their share of the common fund.

He called on the government to hasten the process of setting up the National Council for Disability as mandated by Act 715 and also come out with Legislative Instrument to give effect to the provisions in the Act. Mr Debrah also appealed to the government to ratify the UN Convention on the promotion of the rights of PWDs.

He said there was the need for the government, employers and other stakeholders to take steps to ensure that, the provisions in the law were fully implemented.

Mr Abdul Wahab Musah, Programme Officer, CDD-Ghana, said the nation-wide seminars were part of a larger programme to strengthen disability organisations.

It would also facilitate equal opportunity for persons with disability to participate fully in the decision making process and to push for the implementation of the disability law.

He said the Centre had taken the initiative to produce an abridged version of the Act and would also translate it into six local languages for public dissemination in order to aid understanding as well as increased public awareness of the rights of PWDs in Ghana. Mr Mahama Jeduah, a legal practitioner, who spoke on the provisions in the law, said, it was important to hold institutions and public officials who had been mandated by the law to carry out certain activities to their responsibilities.