Physically challenged persons demand share of Common Fund

Physically challenged persons at Abofuor in the Offinso Municipality of the Ashanti region are agitating the non-payment of their share of the disability fund in the past five years.

They say their interest to participate in the 2016 general elections has waned due to the posture of local authorities to deprive them of access to the fund.

Persons with disabilities are entitled to two percent of the District Assemblies Common Fund to support their medical, educational and other development needs.

Some beneficiaries invest their share of the fund in start-ups and other vocational business ventures.

Although beneficiaries at Offinso in same municipality have been receiving their share of the funds, those at Abofour complain they have been sidelined in the disbursement of the funds since 2011.

The over 50 members, mostly females, say though they have registered with the Social Welfare Department with the hope of benefitting from the fund, they are yet to be receive their share.

“For the past five years, we have been waiting to receive our share of the common fund but all efforts have yielded no result” Esther Issah lamented.

The aggrieved members are thus questioning the mode of disbursing which has led to their exclusion.

They intend to boycott the December 7 general elections if they continue to be deprived of the funds.

One of them, Anthony Wiafe, doesn’t understand why his colleagues in other communities are benefiting from the fund but those at Abofuor have been sidelined.

“None of us here at Abofuor is ready to participate in the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections if authorities fail to attend to our plight before the elections”, he stated.

A member of the committee responsible for the disbursement of the disability fund, Kotowreh Richard, indicated that those not receiving the funds may not have been properly registered.

He is however hopeful the next batch of disbursement will benefit majority of them.