Investigate Disbursement Of 2% Common Fund Paid To PWDs- Oye Lithur

Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur, says investigations will be conducted into the disbursement of the two per cent common fund paid to Persons with Disability (PWDs). She said pragmatic measures needed to be carried out to ensure that PWD�s are actually given the fund, adding that there was the need to be able to target and get PWD�s who are really in need. Nana Oye Lithur said this on Monday when Acting Chairman of the Disability Council, Mr Andrew Okaikoi called on her to give an over-view of the challenges of the council. The council's term expired last year. She said there will be the utmost need for the creation of a database to ascertain PWDs and categorize them according to their social needs to help ensure there were no duplications within the sector. She expressed reservation about the full implementation of the Disability Act, stressing that two years to the expiration of the 10-year moratorium, most public buildings were still unfriendly to the disabled including the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection. �Gender Ministry is going to engage the services of Architecture Engineering Services Company and the Town and Country Planning to ensure that public buildings are constructed in line with the Disability Act 2005,� Nana Oye Lithur said. Nana Oye Lithur said the ministry will consult stakeholders to re-constitute the Disability Council. Mr Okaikoi appealed to the minister to work towards developing public places that are currently not disability friendly. He called on the minister to help fund disability related issues and work hand in hand with other agencies to have a positive attitudinal change towards PWDs. Meanwhile, the executives of the Mental Health Society of Ghana (MEHSOG) have called for overhauling of the Disability Council as their members are not considered in the scheme of strategies. During interaction with Nana Oye Lithur, the Executive Secretary of MEHSOG Mr Humphrey Kofie, said People with mental health issues are discriminated against by the Disability Council...this he said must stop. He has accused the Disability Council of failing to fulfill its mandate and called for immediate action to re-constitute the board to meet the need of all members. He also complained that majority of their members are not benefiting from the common fund.