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.