Chairman of the Tobinco Group of Companies, Dr. Samuel Amo Tobbin, is urging the president and the government to engage private-sector players in tackling unemployment, particularly among persons with disabilities.
His call comes after scores of unemployed, qualified persons with disabilities staged a peaceful protest in Accra, demanding equal job opportunities and stricter enforcement of inclusive labor policies.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Tobinco Group’s National Health Forum, Dr. Tobbin said the private sector is ready to assist in providing jobs for skilled individuals with disabilities.
“The president has the power to engage business people that he knows of and tell them to give some jobs to these people,” Tobbin said.
He argued that if all private firms were engaged by the government, they could each absorb at least five persons with disabilities, complementing state efforts to reduce unemployment.
On Tuesday, demonstrators marched from the Accra Rehabilitation Centre in Adabraka, holding placards with messages such as “We need jobs; enough is enough,” “Break the barriers, not our spirit,” and “We can work, we are capable.”
The protesters expressed frustration over limited opportunities despite their academic qualifications and readiness to contribute to national development. They urged authorities to implement concrete measures to ensure inclusivity in recruitment, insisting that qualified individuals with disabilities must be afforded equal opportunities to work and contribute to Ghana’s socio-economic growth.
