Akufo-Addo apologises to disabled people over campaign comment

• Posted on February 4, 2019
• by Ellsamwise King
• Comment

President Akufo-Addo has apologised to the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations  over a ‘political metaphor’ he used while campaigning for his party’s candidate in last Thursday’s by-election in the Ayawaso West-Wuogon constituency.

The federation had in a statement demanded an apology from the President for suggesting on the campaign platform that people who cannot see his achievement in his two-year reign as President are either deaf or blind.

“The attention of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD)- Ashanti region, has been drawn to a recent comment passed by the President, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, which has the potential to portray the ‘blind’ and ‘deaf’ people in a negative light.

“The President is reported in sections of the media to have said at the New Patriotic Party’s final rally ahead of the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency by-election that, “We came to fix Ghana, and in these two years, it is only those who are blind or deaf who are not aware that indeed we have done something,” the statement said.

The President who issued his apology on Facebook however explained that he meant no harm to the disabled community.

“Vis-à-vis the comments I made at the final rally prior to the holding of the by-election at Ayawaso West Wuogon, which was won by the NPP candidate so emphatically, I am glad the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations recognizes it was a “political metaphor”. I did not intend any slight on Persons with Disabilities, nor would I ever, and I hope they know that.

“If there has been any Government that has been on the side of Persons with Disabilities, it is my Government. We have increased the share of the District Assemblies Common Fund to Persons with Disabilities from 2% to 3%, and we have also ensured the implementation of our pledge of employing 50% of the persons who manage the country’s toll booths from amongst Persons with Disabilities. I apologise for any unintended slight from the “political metaphor”.