Bole — Thirty-two physically challenged persons in the Bole District of the Northern Region have benefited from the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP).

Speaking at a ceremony in Bole, where the beneficiaries were given their appointment letters to work as teaching assistants, Mr. James Adongo, said the government has acknowledged the efforts of persons with disability and will therefore work to make life more comfortable for them.

Mr Adongo said the incidence of street begging in the cities is becoming alarming to government, especially as most of the beggars are PWDs. Thus government's target is to reduce the number.

He also observed that disability is more or less becoming a developmental issue in the country and government is working around the clock to deal with the problem in a holistic manner.

He advised the beneficiaries not to use the opportunity given them as 'Christmas box' by refusing to go to work. They should rather live up to expectation by working hard to prove to the world and the country that they are capable of contributing their quota to help build mother Ghana.

Mr. Adongo, however, refuted allegations making the rounds that government has dismissed the New Patriotic Party supporters from the NYEP scheme and replaced them with National Democratic Congress members.

He said self sustaining job of every Ghanaian, irrespective of political party is the dream of the NDC administration and is therefore giving a new face to the scheme.

He disclosed that about 4,000 Health Assistants have also been recruited and will be posted to the Ministry of Health as supporting staff, adding that those with the requisite qualification will be enrolled into the various nursing training colleges across the country, after their contracts have expired.

The District Chief Executive for Bole, Alhaji Sampson Abudu, on his part disclosed that government has increased the Communication Service Tax accumulating to the National Youth Employment Programme from 20 percent to 60 percent. This, he said, is a further manifestation of the government's commitment to ensuring that challenges facing PWDs are addressed.

The DCE encouraged the beneficiaries to take their work seriously in order to justify the opportunity offered. He said his outfit will soon form monitoring team to periodically check on their performance at work..