President of the Ghana Society of the Physically Disabled, Matthew Annor Kodom has warned that members of the disability community will stage a demonstration across the country should government fail to adequately reassign and pay arrears of their members who have been employed at the various toll booths.
“We’re praying that this reassignment comes into being but if the government fail and also fail to pay the arrears, then we will stage a demonstration across Ghana, not only the toll collectors but all persons with physical disability, we will stage a demonstrate in all the districts capitals” he explained.
The Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta during the presentation of the 2022 budget statement to Parliament on Wednesday November 17, 2022 said, the government has abolished all tolls on public roads and bridges.
He said this takes effect immediately the Budget is approved adding that the toll collection personnel will be reassigned.
But speaking to Mynewsafric.com’s reporter, Edward A. Ken-Zorre, Mr. Annor Kodom indicated that, “the reassigning is a political pronouncement and we all know that politicians when they make promises, it is not final so we cannot say we holistically accept it”.
“But once that pronouncement has been made in Parliament it means Ghanaians have heard it and we’re going to pursue that course for them to be reassigned so we’re compiling the list to know their qualification and what they can do so we forward it to the appropriate ministries”, he added.
Mr. Annor Kodom also revealed that, both the finance and the roads and highways ministries failed to engage the disability community in any form of consultation before the pronouncement in parliament “even though we are a major stakeholder in this regard”.
He further explained that, “before the pronouncement by the finance minister, we were in talks with Hon. Amoku Atta concerning the problems our members have encountered during the period under review, and we wanted to reach an amicable solution for some of the problems that members were facing”.
“We were still in the process when we heard the sad and shocking news that tolls have been abolished and we were really surprised and shocked and in tears by this pronouncement by the finance minister” he maintained.
Citing the reasons for the engagement with the road’s ministry, Mr. Annor Kodom said some Persons Living with disability that have been engaged at the toll booths were unjustly sacked whiles continues delay in payment of workers allowances was also a major concern.
He said the computerized system at some toll booths were malfunctioning and was creating some disagreements between the toll collectors and managers of the toll booths which they requested the minister intervention for a resolution.
