Sierra Leone: Disabled Community Calls for Five Key Appointments

Sierra Leone Union on Disability Issues (SLUDI) on Wednesday 30 March 2016 presented a position statement to President Dr Ernest Bai Koroma at State House in Freetown.

The president of SLUDI Kabba Franklyn Bangura requested for at least five appointments be given to persons with disability as Ministers, Ambassadors and any other statutory positions, to upgrade the National Commission for Persons with Disability to a First Class, to take affirmative action for an inclusive parliament and cabinet to be included in the reviewed constitution, to create a vibrant Presidential Disability Aide, to institute a presidential action that will get rid of persons with disabilities from the streets through sustainable development programmes, and to strengthen the APC disabled wing to be given due recognition in the party constitution.

Mr Bangura pointed out that the recent Presidential appointments with its conspicuous absence of persons with disability in the entire appointment list, has created mixed feelings in the disability community.

He also expressed profound thanks and appreciation to President Koroma for promoting disability issues including the appointment of disabled persons as Deputy Minister, Member of Parliament as well as the domestication of the United Nations Convention on the Right of Persons with Disability Act 2011 and the establishment of the National Commission for Persons with Disability.

Responding to their concerns, President Koroma stated that the absence of disabled persons in his recent appointments does not mean his government has issues with them. He assured to look into their concerns/requests, especially those concerns that have to do with government, but however urged them to engage the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) on constitutional matters.

“I will not make any promises for now but I am assuring you that you are not excluded,” he said, and called on the National Commission for Persons with Disability to work in tandem with government to get rid of persons with disabilities from street begging and help provide them with required skills for self-reliance.