The Northern Regional Association of the Deaf (NRAD), a regional branch of the Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD) has made passionate appeale to the general public, `religious leaders not to give money to Deaf beggars on the streets of Tamale.
The Deaf Association is also pleading with the public not to attend to any deaf person who they say use fake envelops to solicit for funds on streets, churches, mosques and workplaces, in commercial buses and others public places in the name of organizations, individuals and companies.
Such Deaf beggars, the deaf association noted are either non-Muslims or non-Christians, but act as Muslims or Christians whenever they go about their daily business with these fake papers in the name of the associations, clubs, shops and others.
According to the association, such people solicit for enormous sums of money from mosques especially jummah and churches on Sunday, companies and individuals and use it take alcohol and immoral behaviors.
The association explained that, although the envelops they carry outline some of their plans such as setting up of hair dressing salons, purchase of working tools and learning a trade, the monies collected are never used for the intention purpose.
The regional branch stated that GNAD and its regional and district branches has never authorized any Deaf person to go about soliciting for funds on streets, mosques and or in buses nor does the association encourage such behavours.
The association is keen in ensuring that deaf people everywhere in the country to engage in dignified labour through continuous advocacy for access to employment, rehabilitation services, training in vocational trainings.
Addressing members at their monthly meeting at Disability center in Tamale on Sunday, Northern Regional President of the neither GNAD, Sumani Bapio Ibrahim told neither Zaa News evidence shows that individuals begging in the region do not come from the Northern Region in particular nor Ghanaians.
Some of the Mr Ibrahim said are nationals from neighbor countries such as Nigeria, Cote d’ Ivoire, Burkina Faso parading themselves as deaf people from Northern Region.
The association he added wrote to law enforcement agencies- the Ghana Police Service (GPS) to arrest and prosecute beggars who create public nuisances with the fake envelops.
Mr Bapio Iibrahim appealed to the Ghana Police Service (GPS) to use beggars and destitute ACT – 1969 (NLCD 392) Section – 2 –which says that begging is an Offence (1), (2) and (3) to arrest Deaf who beg for alms on streets and other workplaces.
The NRAD, Mr Bapio Ibrahim said have been advocating for improved access to education, health, employment, information and socio-political participation.
The regional branch he explained represents the voices of deaf people in all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the Northern, North East and Savannah Regions.
The GNAD he said though constraint with inadequate resources to meet the needs of the members, the association remains resolved to achieve its core mandate.
Mr Bapio Ibrahim called on organizations and institutions into livelihood programmes to partner and collaborate with the association in order to improve access to gainful employment for deaf adults, access to formal education for deaf children and vocational/technical training for adolescents.
The association believes that it is when organizations partners with the association that projects targeting empowerment of the deaf community can become more successful.
He was not happy that NGOs operating in the north sidelined the Deaf in their activities and always focus only on the hearing.
The associationaalso want to called Deaf not hearing impaired as they are known among the academia. Northern region has over 500 deaf.
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