The donated items including cash is estimated at GHC80,000.00
The Nzema East Municipal Assembly in the Western Region, through its Municipal Disability Fund Management Committee has provided support for over sixty disabled persons within the assembly.
The money and items totalling some GHC80,000.00 were presented to the beneficiaries at a ceremony held in Axim on Tuesday, August 6, 2019.
This comes as a result of the NPP's 2016 campaign promise to increase the Disability Fund Component of the District Assemblies Common Fund, from two per cent (2%) to three per cent (3%).
The support included educational, financial and medical. It also included items such as fridges, food items, used clothing and fertilizers.
Other items were hair dryers, over-lock machines, cutlasses, wheelchairs, cooking utensils, hand sewing machine, fingerlings and feed, shoes and provisions all estimated at GHC80,000.00.
Delivering the items to the beneficiaries, the Municipal Chief Executive for the area, Frank Okpenyen, thanked President Akufo-Addo for honouring his 2016 electioneering campaign pledge by increasing the Disability Fund Component of the District Assemblies Common Fund.
He emphasized government’s support for persons living with disabilities saying, "this kind gesture is an evidence of an avowed response by the NPP Government to solve the problems and the needs of people with disabilities in Ghana, as the NPP Government sees the disabled people as very important to the society".
He also hailed the Akufo-Addo-led Government for employing some disabled persons at various toll booths across the country which has benefited some four people within his municipality.
The MCE entreated the beneficiaries to see to a productive use of the support provided to them. He reminded them that there will intensive and regular monitoring exercise to see how they were faring with the support received and revealed plans of the assembly on enrolling them on the NHIS.
The Western Regional President of Ghana Society of the Physically Disabled, Mr. Samuel K. Quansah thanked President Akufo-Addo for thinking about Persons with disability.
He also thanked the MCE for being truthful to them and asked God to bless him abundantly.
He urged his members to put the items and money to good use, and to desist from begging on the streets for survival.
On his part, the Chief of Awiafom and Dwantoahene of Lower Axim Traditional Council, Nana Awiafom II, hailed President Akufo-Addo for the kind gesture towards persons living with disability.
He urged the beneficiaries and the good people of Nzema East Municipality to rally behind President Akufo-Addo and retain him in 2020 for the continuity of such gesture.
The Member of Parliament for the area, Hon. Catherine Afeku, said the purpose of the fund was to empower persons with disability economically and to get them out of the street as it sometimes results in the loss of their lives. The beneficiaries expressed gratitude to the government and the assembly for the support.
