Physically Challenged Persons In Teere Losing Faith In Common Fund

The Teere Ghana Federation of Disability Organisation (GFD), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) on Thursday expressed concern about delays in the release of their allocation of the Assembly Common Fund for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).

The Teere Ghana is a local NGO which seeks to improve the welfare of PWDs and vulnerable persons and less privileged in northern Ghana.

Speaking at a two-day workshop organised by the GFD in Bolgatanga to sensitise stakeholders on the usage of the two percent disability fund from the District Assembly Common Fund, Mr Aniah David Awine, the Upper East Regional President of GFD revealed that the funds for PWDs were not released from August last year.

He lamented for the delay in the disbursement of the funds and said it was a good source of income for the vulnerable and PWDs adding that when it was released late it affected the livelihoods of some PWDs particularly those in school.

He further 'the account of GFD is in danger, because it cannot offer any support to the beneficiaries of the fund as they may be expecting. There is virtually nothing left.'

The president added that the sustainability of the GFD fund depended on proper monitoring and evaluation as core tools for accountability and transparency to prevail, and urged management of the fund to inculcate this spirit in their dealings.

He urged the government and leaders of the GFD fund to release the funds immediately to assist them to carry out their policy implementation to help PWDs.

Mr Awine appealed to President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo to influence the legislature to consider passing the Disability Bill in full to compel developers of public structures to make them accessible by PWDs to avoid embarrassing themselves in public as their attempts to use these facilities attracted public attention and ridicule.

He spoke against the practice of building without making provisions for Persons with Disabilities.