Unemployed graduates with disabilities in the country are calling on President Akuffo-Addo to get them employment before the end of this month to prove that he is a father for all Ghanaians and not a father for some.
“We are calling on President Nana Addo, if truly he is a father for all, not a father for some, then he should come to the aid of persons with disabilities who have graduated from the various universities and give us employment”, they say.
The Unemployed Disabled Graduates say, they are frustrated by the indifference of the state agencies mandated to seek the well-being of persons with disabilities in the country.
Spokesperson for the group, Master Prosper Amenyo Deku discloses that over one hundred young men and women with disabilities who graduated from various universities in the country from 2018 to date have not gotten employment.
He says, their plight has been worsened by the current economic hardship in the country.
Prosper Deku again discloses that they have been to the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and the National Council on Persons with Disability so many times for assistance to get employment but without any positive results.
Master Prosper Amenyo Deku was speaking in an exclusive interview with DisabilityNewsGH on Monday, December 5, 2022, the first day of their 5-day action week to press home their demands.
Prosper Deku from the Central region, Ebenezer Owuraku from Accra, Joseph Amoako from Ashanti region and Mawuli Gavor from Bono region, all visually impaired, came to Accra ahead of other members of the group who joined them later from other regions, to picket the Jubilee House, the seat of government.
They are also following up on the various state agencies, the Ghana Blind Union, the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations, as well as having media engagements to draw national attention to their situation.
Master Deku questions the essence of going to school if they cannot get jobs after their education.
He says, their situation is a disincentive to the campaign for parents to educate their children with disabilities, as there is no motivation for parents to do so, if they will complete school and come and sit home unemployed.
They are calling on the private sector and the government to ensure that persons with disabilities get employment in accordance with section 9 of the Disability act, Act 715.
The group is also proposing to the government to set up a body that will be responsible solely for seeking jobs for persons with disabilities.
The demonstration by the disabled graduates comes about a week after the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD) held a career fair in Accra for persons with disabilities.
In an earlier interview with DisabilityNewsGH on the sidelines of the fair, the Executive Director of Center for Employment of Persons with Disabilities, Mr. Alexander Tetteh, made the same proposal by the unemployed graduates.
While commending the GFD for the initiative, Mr. Tetteh requests that the government should be holding such events on a larger scale.
He says it is not proper for persons with disabilities to be roaming the streets looking for jobs in addition to the many challenges they face, and also considering the inaccessible nature of the Ghanaian built environment.
He wants the government to open an employment office that will be responsible for looking for job avenues for persons with disabilities.
Sir I suggest you tell the Government to give all person with disability some allowance every quarter rather than sharing of items, the Government is doing his part, but all our money is being consumed by able people
If all this money the Government is giving to us is being used wisely, we will not suffer like that, every day complains , *I have not gotten some of the items issues will seized*
If the Government is giving Gh.100 .00 each every quarter to individual person with disability then by now our lives have been better than sharing items through long process.
The Government can pay all person with disability through the Ghana card . The Government can also make public facilities; school, transport, health services, etc. free for persons with disability
And that is possible.
thank you president .
Employment should not be difficult at all to person with disability
Because it is difficult to become a graduate as a person with disability
Sir I suggest you tell the Government to give all person with disability some allowance every quarter rather than sharing of items, the Government is doing his part, but all our money is misuse by able people If all this money the Government is giving to us is being used wisely, we will not suffer like that. If the Government is giving Gh.200 .00 each every quarter to individual person with disability then by now our lives have been better than sharing items through long process to those who don’t have work. The Government can pay all person with disability through the Ghana card . The Government can also make public facilities; school, transport, health services, etc. free for persons with disability And that is possible. thank you president . Employment should not be difficult at all to person with disability Because it is difficult to become a graduate as a person with disability , job should be always available for persons with disability all the time.
By youth president Gspd Eastern regional