The New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Northern Region has launched a campaign for the hearing-impaired as part of a policy for all-inclusive governance.
Across the country, persons with hearing impairments, particularly in the Northern sector, often feel neglected by policymakers.
In a bid to rope in this marginalised section of the society, the governing party has launched a group called ‘Deaf Youth for NPP’ in the Northern Regional capital, Tamale.
The group is made up of over 300 men and women in the Northern Region with various hearing impairments who have declared their support for the New Patriotic Party.
The founder of the group, Radia Adama Saani, says mobilizing the youth will give them the recognition they deserve and a significant voice in governance.
She said they already have recognition from the NPP government.
The aim is to mobilize and give the hearing-impaired community a voice in issues of governance in the country.
At the launch in Tamale, Radia Adama Saani says the NPP is a party for all and recognizes the contributions of everyone.
“I realized that they have a high interest to campaign for the party but they feel that they do not have a voice. So I am set to stand in for them and to tell them that they have a voice within the NPP. We are going to bridge the gap between them and the party hierarchy so that their challenges can be addressed. For the deaf, no matter how loud we campaign, they do not hear the message but they do feel the conditions in the country and they can only campaign among themselves, so we need to support them.”
The MCE for Sagnarigu, Hajia Mariam Iddrisu, urged the group to campaign seriously for the NPP. She said the NPP has done a lot over the last four years and is poised to do more.
“I want you to go out to campaign. The NPP has a message, we have done a lot and we are poised to do more. So I call on you to go out and campaign on the records of the president,” she said.
The CEO of the Nations Builders Corp (NABCO) who doubles as the NPP’s parliamentary candidate for the Tamale Central constituency, Alhaji Barhama Ibrahim Nyars, thanked the group for their backing and assured them of the government’s support.
“I am very delighted to be here, and seeing all of you gives me the confidence that we are ready to give the president our support and I want to stand in to assure you that the party will give you the necessary support ”
The president of the group, Abdul Shakur Issifu says they have been neglected by politicians for far too long.
“We have been neglected for a very long time; disability is not inability. The fact that we can not hear, does not mean we cannot see the good works of the president. We want to express our sincere thanks to our founder, Radia Saani for this wonderful thing; recognizing us by giving us a voice and we want to stand today to declare our full support for the NPP.”
