Ashanti PWDs under YEA protest over delayed contract renewals, unpaid salaries

A group of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) working under the Youth Employment Agency in the Ashanti Region has appealed to government and management of the agency to urgently address what they describe as unfair treatment, delayed contract renewals, and unpaid salaries.

In a press statement issued on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, the affected workers said their contracts under the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) had not been renewed since September 2025, leaving many of them in financial distress.

The group alleged that despite several attempts to seek clarification, they had not received any official communication regarding their employment status or the payment of their outstanding salaries.

“We, the Persons with Disabilities working under the Youth Employment Agency in the Ashanti Region, wish to draw the attention of the general public, the media, civil society organizations, and the Government of Ghana to the unfair and worrying situation currently affecting us,” the statement said.

According to the group, they suspect that their recommendation letters were not forwarded to the national office by the Ashanti Regional Director of YEA, Seth Atanga.

“We are deeply concerned that our recommendation letters have allegedly not been forwarded to the national office by the Ashanti Regional Director of YEA, Mr. Seth Atanga,” the statement noted.

The affected workers stressed that their recruitment followed all the required procedures, including submission of applications, interviews, medical examinations, and orientation programmes where officials from the Labour Commission educated them on their rights and responsibilities as workers.

“After completing these processes, we were officially engaged and served diligently,” the statement added.

They further explained that they successfully completed their probation period and accepted the contract-based nature of the YEA engagement in good faith.

However, the group expressed disappointment over what they described as inconsistencies in the treatment of PWD staff across regions.

“It is painful and disheartening that while persons with disabilities in the Ashanti Region remain without renewal letters and salaries, some staff in other regions continue to receive salaries even without formal renewal letters,” they stated.

The workers also alleged that within the Ashanti Region itself, some PWD staff had allegedly been selectively paid while many others remained unpaid.

“This situation has raised serious concerns among affected workers and requires urgent clarification from the authorities involved,” the statement stressed.

The group emphasized that their demands were not politically motivated.

“We are not politicians. We are ordinary Ghanaian citizens living with disabilities who only seek fairness, equal treatment, dignity, and the opportunity to work and support ourselves,” the statement said.

They noted that many persons with disabilities already struggle with transportation, accessibility, healthcare, and economic survival, adding that the prolonged delay in resolving the issue was worsening their hardship.

The affected workers called on the Ashanti Regional Minister to intervene immediately and urged the current YEA Chief Executive Officer, Abdul Malik Basintale, to explain why PWDs in the Ashanti Region continue to face uncertainty over their contracts and salaries.

They also appealed to John Dramani Mahama to engage the YEA leadership and ensure fairness, transparency, and equal treatment for persons with disabilities.

“We believe that fairness, transparency, and equal treatment must be upheld at all levels. Persons with disabilities should not be subjected to discrimination, selective treatment, or neglect,” the statement added.

The group warned that if the matter is not addressed within a reasonable time, they would continue engaging the media and other stakeholders to ensure that their concerns receive national attention.

The statement was jointly signed by Convenor Frank Nsiah Acheampong and co-convenors Thomas Nketiah, Patrick Atta Agyei, Osei Bonsu Naomi, and Regina Akomah.

Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com