The Chief Executive Officer at Ghana Gas Company Limited Dr. Ben
Ashanti has said that the company has realized that people with
disability are in dire need when going to university and because of that
the company will allocate 20% of its scholarships for tertiary students
to students with disability.
Dr. Ben Ashanti made this known when Ghana Gas invited disabled
communities in Ghana to celebrate World International Day for Persons
Living with Disabilities in Accra.
He said that Ghana Gas recognized the unique contributions of
disabled persons in our society. He added that it is important to be
sensitive, accommodating, and aware of the complexities of disability
and disabuse our minds of the negative perception, misinformation, and
bias that surrounds persons with disability.
He said it is worth noticing that anyone can be affected by a disability directly or indirectly.
“So it is important all of us understand the relevance of
accessibility and accommodation for the persons with disability in all
events and gathering,” he said.
He noted that Ghana Gas is an all-inclusive employer, has zero
tolerance for discrimination against persons with disability in the
company operations, sites, and offices, and is disability friendly. He
added that the company already employed some people with disabilities
and promised to employ more disabled persons to demonstrate the support
the company wants to grant to the disabled community.
Speaking at the event, the Oti Regional Minister Hon Joshua Gmayenaam
Makubu advocated that access to rights by the disabled should be used
by the international community to measure the responsiveness of the
society towards inclusive development. He stated that that should be
used by international partners and other development agencies to rate
nations before entering into partnerships and other relations.
“When we do that consciousness will be awakened to state actors and that is the only way we can have direct action,” he said.
The
regional minister who is disabled said that the only period he feels
disabled is when you meet someone with a wrong attitude and called on
society to assist the disabled. He added that celebrating people with
disability has to do with inclusion, and innovation and said when you
talk about including people with disabilities they think they should
change the entire world to accommodate persons with disability which is
not true. He said all disabled persons need is a changed attitude in the
work environment and a new culture that is sensitive and responsive to
the needs of people with disability.
He thanked the Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Gas for celebrating with the disabled society.
He said,“I have worked as Advocacy Officer at the Ghana Federation of
Disability Organizations. Even at the international day of persons with
disability, you have to literally beg people, state actors to come and
participate in the event,” he said.
He added that can we get to the day when many notable organizations
such as the Catholic Bishops Conference, the Christian Council, Office
of Chief Iman, the Presidency, and Parliament will issue statements on
an international day for persons with disabilities, and if possible an
entire holiday can be declared so that people will sit down and look at
what we are capable of doing and how we can drive them along.
Minister of Gender, Children, and Social Protection Hon. Lariba
Zuweira Abubu said that the Disability Bill will soon be passed and has
sent the bill to the Attorney general to make the needed legislative
instruments to make it operationalize. He added that the ministry is in
talks with Ghana Education Service and the Scholarship Secretariat on
how they can increase scholarships for persons with disabilities. She
thanked the government for allocating some part of the District Assembly
Common Fund to support disabled persons and call on the government to
increase it so that disabled persons can achieve their goals.
At the end of the program, Ghana Gas donated an undisclosed amount to
some institutions like the Okuapeman Senior High School, Henry Djaba
institution, Magic Eye Band, Akropong School for the Blind, Ghana
Federation of the Disabled, and the Ghana Blind Union.
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