May 17, 2021
By: Aruna Kamara (Bo)
M.B Attila
The Former Minister of Social Welfare, Mustapha Bai Attila has disclosed that the outgone All Peoples Congress (APC) led government was not friendly with disability and could therefore not treat the issue with deserving seriousness.
He made this statement in an interview with our provincial reporter shortly after a disability Hour-Radio Program in Bo last week.
According to Mr. Attila, “when I was in the former government I did a lot to push disability issues to be addressed but one man cannot fight a dozen,” adding that “the APC government was not serious with implementing the Disability Act but I think the SLPP-led government is serious about it but they don’t know how to go about it.”
“I am a Sierra Leonean and I have the right like everybody to serve my country anytime and any day as the president has the prerogative to hire and fire, noting that if my phone rings the president tells me we need you to be a door keeper in my government and needs to sweep some ministries every morning I tell him that yes sir Mr. President your humble servant is available,” he said.
He pointed out that the disability commission needs more staff in order to be vibrant. He argued that the chairman of the commission needs to be proactive and the commission needs to be functional beyond what is prevailing.
He lamented about the lapses and ineptitude within the commission. He said the problems of disables are numerous and much is not done because of capacity gaps within the senior staff of the commission starting with the chairman.
He called on the government to do more and the commission to be restructured with legal team to defend disables as they are been mocked and taken for granted.
He revealed that he is still pursuing the welfare of the disables, and vouched that he wants to be part of national dialogue to get involved in anything that has to do with seeking the welfare of the disables.
He praised President Bio for his good intensions towards the disables and the many charity gestures extended to them, but opined that proper implementation of the Disability Act ought to be done.
He added that for ten years much has not been done in that direction citing some examples of public buildings are not disable friendly and the need for more disable in the Ministry Department and Agencies(MDA). Mr. Attila said only 5% of disables are in the public sectors.
Speaking to this medium in Bo, some of disables however criticized Mr. Attila, saying that he misrepresented them while he was serving in the former APC government.
According to them, he was more militant in his approach and cautioned that President Bio should be careful when appointing him as he is a green snake in a green grass.
The suggestion was countered by a Disable Ibrahim Kamara in Bo who said that President Bio must give him chance if need be.
He argued that Atilla was not given the chance in the past government to push through his good intentions.