Traditional norms should promote development- Nana Nimpong

Nana Amonkona Nimpong, a Senior Citizen in Sunyani, has appealed to traditional rulers to be circumspect in their utterances on the nomination of Dr Henry Seidu Daanaa, a visually-impaired as Minister-designate for Chieftaincy Affairs.

He noted that some traditions and customs prevented chiefs from interacting with the physically-impaired; they should be reviewed to promote national development.

Expressing his concerns to the media in Sunyani, Nana Nimpong commended President John Dramani Mahama for the bold decision to recognise the contribution of the physically-impaired persons in his administration.

“I hope subsequent governments would take a cue from this gesture to allow the physically-impaired to hold ministerial and other high-ranking positions in the country.

“This will spur other heads of departments and agencies in both the public and private sector to employ more physically-impaired in their establishments,” he noted.

Nana Nimpong urged Dr Daanaa to live up to expectation when his nomination was approved by Parliament and called on other physically-impaired to pray for him to excel and not allow their impairment become a barrier to their contribution to national development.

He said Nana Oye Lithur, until her ministerial appointment, was a legal practitioner, human rights advocate and worked in line within the tenets of fundamental human rights as enshrined in the United Nations Charter.

Nana Nimpong pointed out that in line with her duties, legal practitioners defended armed robbers, rebels, thieves, murderers, rapists, drug barons but they could not be blamed for supporting any of such crimes committed by their clients.

Nana Lithur has been approved by Parliament as Minister-designate for Gender, Children and Social Protection.