Montserrado County’s district #8 Representative Aspirant, Samuel S. Dean, has announced a takeover in the district come 2023 presidential and legislative elections to advocate for the disabled community, less privileged, among others, through better legislation; writes Ojuku Silver-tongue Kangar, Jr.
“When it comes to gender equality in Liberia, it concerns women and children. It is hypocritical. Disability people are all inclusive in gender equality,” aspirant Dean stated.
For time in memorial, people with disability in Liberia have been considered carefree by the society—because society believes that they cannot contribute to the society, but feeds on it.
As a result, they are not fully benefiting from the national resources of Liberia, which is meant for every citizen, regardless of status in the society, in terms of employment, scholarship, right to health, education, political participation and so on.
“I will make sure that people with disability excel in Liberia. When it comes to disability, we have been exploited economically and politically,” Dean said.
Government only provides assistance to people with disability on holidays: only July 26, Christmas and New Year we get hungry–the time government shares food items. It is very hypocritical. We have to change that,” Dean maintained.
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability is an international human rights treaty of the United Nations intended to protect the rights and dignity of persons with disability.
The Disability Act of Liberia allows a particular number of people with disability to be employed at certain government ministries, but has been a fiasco. As a result, Dean said he recruited a number of disabled people and staged a protest at President Weah’s Foreign Ministry office several months ago.
“When President Weah came down to meet us, I told him to address our plight by employing those to be employed to government’s ministries, and it was so,” Dean added. “I have staged two protests on behalf of people with disability here.”
Dean, who is a disabled representative-aspirant, has vowed to oust incumbent Representative, Moses A. Gray, come 2023 general elections. Representative Gray, who is a second-term ruling party representative, will seek a third term in next year elections.
“I know Moses Acarious Gray personally. He is a good man because people go to him for handout. Liberian people considered him for that. He has not been transparent. There has been no point in time when he has given report on the district’s development funds,” he said. “He called me a ‘deportee’ when I supported Takun-J’s representative bid. Representative Gray is a pathological liar.”
Despite Representative Gray being well grounded in the district, aspirant Dean said he is going in the House of Representatives with the passion of his people. He added that people should not feel sorry for him and vote for him; rather, they should vote for him based on his ability and not his disability.
“I will change the status quo by making the best legislations that will be inclusive for everyone: people with disability, old folks, zogoes, and so on,” he said.
The representative-aspirant, who is on record to bringing disabled people to the top of the ladder of national benefit and decision-making, owns the Florence A. Tolbert and the Disabled Advocates Incorporated (FATDA). Since 2008 FATDA has distributed over 15,000 units of Assistive Technology (AT) throughout Liberia, valued at US$5 million, according Dean. He also worked with the Group of 77, an appointed position by the Vice President, and as a consultant at the National Commission on Disability.
