Tarkwa: Mr. William Augustine Denkyi, Project Officer of Friends of the Nation (FoN), has called on the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal Assembly to ensure that all their projects and facilities are accessible to everyone, including Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). He expressed concerns over the lack of commitment to integrating disability walkways in projects, noting that these provisions are often overlooked even at the completion stage, which deprives PWDs of essential accessibility.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Denkyi made these remarks during a monitoring programme organized by FoN in collaboration with the assembly to assess projects funded by the Minerals Development Fund (MDF) in the area. He highlighted past monitoring efforts that evaluated the use of MDF in the municipality and introduced the concept of 'Gender Responsive Tracking of MDF projects' to better understand the impacts of mining revenues on development, particularly for women, girls, and PWDs.
Mr. Denkyi further noted that the assembly typically excludes the community from the project design phase, involving them only during implementation. He cited an example from the Cyanide community, where residents had funds to support a community center but were excluded from the design process, leading to dissatisfaction with the final plan.
Mr. Daniel Kwame Okyere, Chairman of the Ghana Federation of Disabled (GFD) in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality, echoed these concerns, emphasizing that inspected projects lacked disability-friendly features. He urged assembly officials to rectify this in current and future projects by adhering to strict disability accessibility standards.
Mrs. Amanda Pokuaa Adjei, Development Planning Officer at the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal Assembly, responded by assuring stakeholders that the assembly would consider the recommendations and ensure contractors address these issues before project handovers.
Nana Adwoa Kyewere, Queen mother of Tarkwa and Aboso, thanked FoN for promoting accountability and transparency through this programme and committed to working with assembly and community members to safeguard MDF-funded projects.
The monitoring programme included stakeholders such as traditional rulers, assembly members, women groups, the Ghana Federation of Disabled (GFD), and other local organizations. The team visited various communities, including Simpa, Dompim, Boamah, Bogrekrom, and Cyanide, to inspect projects like classroom blocks, an astroturf park, toilet facilities, community centers, and durbar grounds.
