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Akatsi-North District Assembly supports 123 PWDs in education, health and skills development
The Akatsi-North District Assembly, has supported 123 People Living with Disabilities (PWDs) in education, health and skills development, as part of government’s policy to empower and provide an enabling environment for PWDs to improve on their living conditions, and contribute meaningfully to development.
The District Assembly in collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development (DSWCD) have provided training in employable skills, income generation activities with start-up capitals, provision of technical aids, devices, working tools, registration under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and supported those at the various levels of education.
Presenting cheques and working tools to another batch of beneficiary PWDs on Tuesday at Ave-Dakpa, the District Chief Executive (DCE) Mr Simon Peter Ofosu said the era when PWDs were only given pocket monies was over and equipping them with employable skills and helping them to establish their own businesses was economically viable.
Mr Ofosu said government policy to address economic challenges confronting PWDs is being implemented at the Assembly through the PWD component of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF), which was used by the Assembly to improve on the living conditions of the beneficiaries in the District.
He explained that the Akatsi-North Assembly formed Disability Fund Management Committee (DFMC), which was tasked to identify PWDs to form a group that would easily benefit from the disability fund, and said the Assembly had shown much commitment to the wellbeing of PWDs in the area.
According to the DCE, much as the Assembly was committed to ensuring that PWDs were provided with the needed support to ensure that they would become economically independent, PWDs should support the activities of the Assembly by ensuring that they register with the Assembly to enable them to also benefit from the assistance being given by the Assembly.
Mr Ofosu said government support for PWDs was linked to the Sustainable Development Goal eight and ten, which aimed at ensuring economic empowerment to improve their livelihoods and mitigate the vulnerability they faced in the society among others.
The DCE also appealed to the PWDs who received support in the area of education, to take advantage of the available opportunities they were enjoying to learn hard to justify the investment government was making in them to become successful in their chosen academic carriers, to return and serve in the District.
According to the DCE, the Assembly did not impose anything on the PWDs but tried as much as possible to provide the demands that they made, as some of them requested for corn mills, sewing machines, and refrigerators to enable them to sell sachet water, plastic chairs and canopies for hiring, which were provided for them.
Mr Ofosu, however advised the beneficiaries to put the items to good use that would help transform their lives, and cautioned against sale of the items because the Assembly would regularly monitor the beneficiaries and anyone who was found to have sold his or her equipment, would no longer receive any benefit from the Assembly again.
The Akatsi-North District Social Welfare and Community Development (SWCD) Officer, Mr Isaac Abanga assured the PWDs who applied but did not benefit yet to be patient because processes to secure their equipment were underway and would soon receive them.
From LAWRENCE MARKWEI, Ave-Dakpa
The Diaspora Affairs Office at the Office of the President has hosted a delegation of African diaspora women who are in Ghana ahead of a planned Presidential Conferment of Citizenship ceremony.
The Director of Diaspora Affairs, Kofi Okyere Darko, explained in a Facebook post that the visit was a gesture of appreciation by the delegation to the Government of Ghana for its continued efforts to reconnect Africans in the diaspora with their ancestral homeland.
He indicated that the ceremony, scheduled for next Monday, will officially grant Ghanaian citizenship to members of the delegation as part of the country’s broader engagement with the African diaspora.
The delegation was led by Erica Bennett, Founder of the Diaspora Africa Forum.
According to Mr Okyere Darko, her years of advocacy have played an important role in strengthening ties between Africa and people of African descent living abroad.
He noted that the group’s journey towards citizenship represents not only a legal process but also a cultural and spiritual return to their roots.
Also present at the meeting was Natalie Jackson, an attorney who is also expected to receive Ghanaian citizenship during the ceremony. She works closely with renowned civil rights lawyer Ben Crump.
Mr Okyere Darko emphasised that Ghana remains committed to strengthening relationships with the African diaspora and promoting unity, identity, and shared heritage among people of African descent worldwide.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana has signed a debt restructuring agreement with the Kingdom of Belgium as part of efforts to restore the country’s economic stability after the financial crisis that hit the nation in 2022 and 2023.
The Minister of Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, today disclosed that he signed the agreement on behalf of the Government of Ghana.
He explained that Ghana experienced a very difficult period during the crisis, which forced the government at the time to declare a debt default.
However, he indicated that the country is now recovering and witnessing a significant economic turnaround.
According to him, stronger systems are also being put in place to ensure that Ghana does not return to such a situation again.
Dr Forson noted that the agreement with Belgium is the eighth deal Ghana has concluded with countries under the Official Creditor Committee as part of its external debt restructuring programme.
He expressed appreciation to the Government of Belgium for its support and partnership with Ghana during the process.
The Finance Minister thanked Carole van Eyll, Ambassador of Belgium to Ghana, for her role in strengthening relations between the two countries.
The agreement forms part of Ghana’s broader effort to restructure its external debts and stabilise the economy following the crisis.
By: Jacob Aggrey
