In a milestone that fundamentally reshapes the landscape of student leadership in Ghana, the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has established its first-ever Disability Committee, ending a 64-year period of limited representation for students with disabilities since the union’s founding in 1962.
This breakthrough is the direct result of sustained engagement and advocacy by the Interim Executive Committee of the National Union of Students with Disabilities (NUSD), which successfully petitioned the 59th NUGS Administration, led by President Rashid Ibrahim Esq., to institutionalise a dedicated platform for disability issues.
Heading this historic shift is Ametor Korku A. Ellah, who has been appointed as the inaugural Vice Chairperson, making him the first individual to hold this specialised office in the union’s history.
Mr. Ellah is joined on this pioneering committee by two other student leaders with disabilities: Ibrahim Seisu Kamwinenaane, who takes on the role of Secretary, and Tanibe Justine Boogu-Nyoo, who serves as a Member.
While the committee is chaired by an individual who is not a person with a disability, the appointment of these three NUSD-affiliated representatives ensures that the lived experiences and specific challenges of the disability community are represented at the core of the union’s governance for the 2025/2026 academic year.
This development signals a transformative era where disability advocacy is no longer handled under general welfare portfolios but is given a permanent, constitutionally backed seat at the highest level of student decision-making.
The selection of Mr. Ellah as Vice Chairperson provides the committee with a leader who balances academic rigor with a deep well of grassroots experience.
Currently reading Information Studies and Psychology at the University of Ghana, Mr. Ellah’s academic insights into human behaviour and information management are paired with an extensive career in advocacy.
He currently serves as the National Public Relations Officer for the Ghana Society of the Physically Disabled (GSPD) and as the PRO for NUSD.
His leadership record includes a tenure as Chairman of GSPD Ga East (2022–2024) and work as a working committee secretary for the Ghana Network for Youth with Disabilities (GNYD) under the National Youth Authority (NYA).
This blend of academic and administrative expertise positions him to architect the committee’s foundation from the ground up.
The mandate for this pioneer group is both administrative and foundational. Mr. Ellah and his colleagues are tasked with promoting physical and digital accessibility across all NUGS facilities, coordinating essential resources and academic accommodations for students, and providing the first institutionalised policy input through the lens of disability rights.
Operating under Article 17(a) of the NUGS Constitution, the committee will function under the direct supervision of the Chief of Staff in the Office of the President.
This administrative alignment ensures that their initiatives have the full executive authority of the NUGS Presidency behind them, allowing for the implementation of long-term structural changes that improve the welfare of challenged students nationwide.
Ametor Korku A. Ellah, Ibrahim Seisu Kamwinenaane, and Tanibe Justine Boogu-Nyoo take their roles as historical figures who have finally secured a permanent voice for their community within the national student movement.
This milestone effectively ends a 64-year wait for a specialised disability front at the NUGS table, ushering in a new chapter of truly inclusive student front.
SOURCE: DisabilityNewsGH.com
