By: Mawusie P.I Dumbuya
Information Communication and Outreach Manager
Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) from different part of the country has on Tuesday 21st December 2021 validated the 2021-2025 Strategic Plan of the National Commission for Persons with Disability (NCPD) at the Garden State Complex in Makeni.
The process was geared towards scrutinizing the document by stakeholders in the disability sector before it is being used.
In his statement, NCPD Executive Secretary Saa Kortoquee said it is good to plan on whatever you do, adding that it is the main purpose why the Commission has undertaken such venture, “this document will help us to tailor all our programmes in line with government priority areas effectively” he maintained.
He said government is the only funder of the Commission and hoped other partners will come to the aid of NCPD in ensuring that the lives of PWDs are improved tremendously.
He urged the participants to do due diligence to the work owning to the fact that the Commission will be using the document for the next 5 years to implement activities on disability issues in Sierra Leone.
He further noted that the first Strategic Plan had expired for which the Commission needed a new one which would stand the test of time and revealed that the plan will be costed for the attention of government and other organizations. 
He committed the Commission’s willingness to continue working with DPOs government Ministries, Agencies, local and international partners for the betterment of disability issues.
Board Member representing the Sierra Leone Union on disability issues (SLUDI) Daniel Thoronka confessed that he was relatively happy to be part of the process adding that the strategic plan is the road map to enrich the output of any institution of which NCPD is of no exception.
Thanking the NCPD for bestowing such opportunity on him, the consultant Brima Sheriff said the plan had identified problems and proffered solutions.
He called on all and sundry to work hard for the Commission to recurve the much-needed support from government and other partners.
He furthered that in advocacy it is a must to trumpet activities undertaken to get the attention of duty bearers.
He encouraged PWDs to analyze the President’s Speech which was delivered on the 3rd December, 2021 to come up with critical advocacy messages.
Slyvanus Bundu appreciated the work of the commission in which he thanked the Executive Secretary and his team for including PWDs in the process.
