On Monday 24 October 2017, all forms of persons with disabilities jumped onto the streets of Freetown in a peaceful protest over the lack of Disability Commission subvention. According to the former president of the Sierra Leone Union on Disabilities Issues (SLUDI), Kabba, since January 2017, the Commission has not received their government subvention. He maintained that it is from that subvention they are normally solving most of their problems as disabled persons.
He noted, “the activities of disabled people is based on that subvention and if we are not getting our subvention, how can we survive?”
The former president said the Minister of Social Welfare, Sylvia Blyden, has not been seeking the interest of disabled people. “The Minister has not been cooperative at all to issues affecting persons with disabilities. “She has not given us any attention in order to address this problem and I think she is a setback to the progress of President Koroma.”
In a statement issued by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development on 9 October 2017, with regard to a letter written by SLUDI in a call to address their plights with the Minister of Social Welfare, it stated, “the MOFED don’t currently have outstanding payment requests/vouchers for payment in respect of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities.”
A representative of United Women with Disability, Mariatu Bangura, said as disabled people they are faced with enormous challenges. She noted, “We are completely left out as disabled people. Most of our colleagues don’t have a place to sleep.” According to her the President just went ahead and appointed the Minister of Social Welfare without their consent. The Minister, she said, is creating a lot of problems for the disabled community.
Abu Bakarr Koroma, Assistant Secretary General of SLUDI described the Minister as someone who is discriminating and marginalizing disabled people. He said since they came as an executive, they have wanted to pay a courtesy visit to the Minister, which he said the Minister rejected.
After a meeting with President Koroma, the President of SLUDI, Santigie Kargbo, said that the President made several calls in order to resolve the matter. Kargbo said, “Let us be patient with this issue. The President said within this week this issue will be addressed.
MJB/23/10/17
By Mohamed J. Bah
Tuesday October 24, 2017.
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