“I Will Promote the Interest of Persons with Disability”…
Freetown/1st August 2012: The Commissioner of the National Commission for Persons with Disability, Fredrick Kamara (in photo) has on Wednesday 1st August 2012 assured His Excellency Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma that he will work tirelessly to promote the interests of persons with disability in Sierra Leone.
“The Commission will do its level best to ensure that persons with disabilities become assets of the nation and serve as active members of the society. So, all I want is the full support of the government and all stakeholders”, Commissioner Kamara pleaded with President Koroma.
Presenting members of the Commission to President Koroma at the Presidential Lodge, Hill Station, Commissioner Kamara informed the Head of State that the Commission consists of representatives of eight ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) and two international non-governmental organizations.
He told the President that he was impressed with the composition of the Commission, and that he looks forward to the commencement of full operations.
His Excellency Dr Ernest Bai Koroma congratulated Commissioner Frederick Kamara on his assumption of office as head of the National Commission for Persons with Disability.
“I can only say that we have come to the end of the road of the appointment of the Commissioners, as it was a journey of great expectations”, he said.
President Koroma registered government’s fullest dedication towards reforming the lives of persons with disabilities saying; “Sierra Leoneans with disabilities should have equal opportunities. Opportunities must be created for the disable members of society, and we must send out signals to the whole world that they are indeed Sierra Leoneans, by creating a favourable working environment for specialize knowledge for teaching them, and medical facilities for them to ensure that disables are fully integrated into the society”.
He reiterated government’s commitment to the protection and promotion of the welfare of persons with disabilities adding; “my doors remain open and we must hit the ground running in addressing disability issues and get disables out of the streets, as a good number of them have talents waiting to be tapped”.
President Koroma also said government through the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs will continue to support the National Commission for Persons with Disability.
It would be recalled that the Persons with Disability Act 2011 is an act to establish a National Commission for Persons with Disability, to prohibit discrimination against persons with disability, achieve equalization of opportunities for persons with disability and to provide for their related matters. According to the act, the Commission was established to ensure the well-being of persons with disability.
Minister of the Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs, Steven Gaoja said, shortly after the official presentation of the Commissioners of the Disability Commission to President Koroma, that the establishment of the Commission was welcome news among very many Sierra Leoneans. “This government is very much sensitive to the plight of persons with disability. That’s why the law to tackle concerns of disabled people was passed last year by this very responsible and visionary leadership of President Ernest Bai Koroma,” Mr. Gaoja confidently maintained.
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