The Member of Parliament for New Juaben South, Michael Okyere Baafi, has declared himself the “most visible member of Parliament” in Ghana.
According to the lawmaker, since being elected, he has made a deliberate effort to be present in communities within his constituency, interacting with residents and addressing their immediate needs.
The MP stated that he attends social events such as funerals, weddings, and graduations, whether he is invited or not.
“I am the most visible member of Parliament in Eastern Region and even the entire country. I am always with the people in the constituency. I attend weddings, funerals, church programs either you invite me or not,” Okyere Baafi said.
He made these remarks at a stakeholder engagement facilitated by AFES Ghana in collaboration with Kofkro Project partners.
The forum allowed the youth and vulnerable groups to interface with policymakers to discuss their challenges, including unemployment, inadequate social amenities, higher education and skill training opportunities, and security concerns.
Michael Okyere Baafi assured participants that he would intensify engagement with the youth to address their concerns, building on ongoing efforts in education, employment, and security.
“The interaction has been very fruitful. I think I have to organize more by myself to interact with them to know their problems. I realized that we need to meet the youth often because they have issues. This meeting has given me a clear direction on what the youth need. So, I am going to work on it and give them feedback,” he said.
At the program, the hearing impaired in Koforidua urged policymakers to address the high unemployment rate among persons living with disabilities (PWDs).
Unemployment rates among PWDs are significantly high, with women facing greater risks due to the intersection of gender and disability. This exacerbates their plight, leaving them dependent on other members of society and unable to take control of their lives.
Hearing-impaired individuals, mostly old and continuing students of Koforidua School for the Deaf, made an urgent plea to decision-makers to focus on inclusive policy interventions to address unemployment among PWDs.
“I applied for a job sometime ago and I was asked to go and come back again, but later I was denied. So my problem is only hearing people have been given the opportunity than the deaf person. MPs, the Ministers and government as a whole must help us get jobs to do,” lamented Mrs. Comfort Adu Ama, a hearing-impaired individual.
Frimpong Adu Benoni added his frustration, “Whenever we apply for jobs or something, because of the disability challenge that we have, we are always denied. When we write applications, they tell us next week you will hear from us, but upon follow-up, they tell us because of the language barrier. So we are seeking help from the government to help us get jobs.”
Others also highlighted the denial of access to financial assistance to invest in their businesses. “I am worried about a lot of issues about we the disability people. Whenever we apply for jobs or apply for funds to back our business, they don’t give us,” another participant shared.
Programs Manager at Star Ghana, Ernestina Tetteh, emphasized that policymakers should take a cue from the youth protests in Kenya by frequently engaging the youth on policy interventions that address their present and future needs for inclusive development.
Organizers of the event presented citation in honour of the Hon. Michael Okyere Baafi.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
