The Municipal Chief Executive for Obuasi Municipal has presented cash and items to 101 Persons with Disability (PWDs) in the Obuasi Municipality and the Obuasi East District.
The items included oven, deep freezers, knitting machines, shoe grinder and kits as well as pop corn machines while the cash was used to settle medical bills and school fees of beneficiaries.
This forms part of the Disability Fund from the Assembly’s share of the District Assemblies Common Fund.
Presenting cash and items worth GH 137,094.00 to the beneficiaries, the Obuasi MCE thanked them for their patience. He said the earlier controversies in the media about the delay in disbursement of the funds were due to communication gap that existed between the Committee responsible for the disbursement and the various disability groups.
He said “henceforth the Municipal Assembly will provide funds for their meetings to make them more effective “.
Again, the Obuasi MCE said the Assembly will ensure that their office at Gauso remains functional by paying their rent and also ensure that the Assembly leads the advocacy for the protection of the rights of persons living with disability in Obuasi.
Mr. Adansi-Bonah also revealed that Anglogold Ashanti is planning to implement a Social Management Plan.
The plan will provide support to complete the existing rehabilitation centers for the Physically challenged and the Deaf in Obuasi.
He advised beneficiaries to take good care of the products and use them for the intended purpose to improve their standard of living.
On his part the Secretary of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations, Mr. Karim Iddrisu thanked the Government and the Assembly for their continuous support towards the well-being of people living with disability.
He appealed to the beneficiaries to make good use of the items to better their lives.
He appealed to the media to use their platform to champion the cause of disables and the vulnerable in the society.
Mr. Iddrisu advised the beneficiaries especially those who were given school fees and those whose hospital bills were paid for, to submit their receipts after payment.
Mr. Ibrahim Seidu, the Focal person for the Disability Fund also thanked the beneficiaries for their patience but appealed to them to use the appropriate platform at the Assembly to resolve their grievances.
In all, 26 people received school fees, 11 of them were given money to settle their hospital bills whiles 64 people received items to boost their businesses.
The first batch of beneficiaries received their share of the Disability Fund on 3rd July, 2018.
Applicants from the Obuasi East District were considered because as at the time their applications were received, the District Assembly Common Fund had not been released.
In all 41 people from the Obuasi East District were also catered for.
Mr.Francis Dwira Darko, the Municipal Coordinating Director, members of the Disability groups and the media were all present.
