The Representative of ECOWAS to Ghana, Ambassador Baba Gana Wakil, has urged African governments to protect vulnerable members of the ECOWAS Community so they would not be left behind. He said this during his closing remarks at the Regional Coordination Meeting and Training of Disability Inclusion Experts in Africa programme held this week in Accra. According to him, ECOWAS will not cease to make efforts to ensure that their member states are given the needed support under national and legal framework.
The three-day training proramme for stakeholders in the sub-region discussed issues such as the collection of disaggregated data, reinforcing the capacity of Disability Inclusion Experts, implementing disability inclusive policies, among others.
“I am pleased with the recommendations emerging from the meeting and I look forward to their implementation at both national and regional levels,” Ambassador Wakil stated.
He assured that the recommendations brought forward at the end of the deliberations would be implemented at all levels.
On her part, the African Union Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development Ambassador Cessouma Minata Samate, remarked that the world cannot remain silent when the rights of people with albinism are violated.
She said a peaceful and modern Africa is what is meant by West Africa and “our actions are what depict whether our foundation will stand or fall”.
“The Africa we want” to show that everyone’s rights are recognized be in terms of religion, ethnicity, nationality and it will be a failure if we do not do what we ought to do.
“The AUC is ready and available to support the implementation of the Regional Action Plan on Disability Inclusion in West Africa,” she stated.
She added that “As we discuss policies, strategies and treaties, we need also to bear in mind the issue of accessibility to assistive technology. Be it motorized wheelchairs or software for voice over, all are procured from abroad and are unaffordable to most. We need to start discussing this and other issues as we cannot wait for the ratification of the AU Protocol for it to come into force”.
By Benedicta Lloyd