Employ us or face Jubilee House protest in two weeks – Graduates with disabilities

The Coalition of Unemployed Graduates with Disabilities has given the government two weeks to employ its qualified members in the public sector or secure financial clearance for their recruitment in the upcoming national budget.

The group has warned that failure to meet either demand will trigger a three-day continuous demonstration at Jubilee House.

In a press statement signed by its Group Convener, Gilbert Boateng Agyare, the coalition accused the government of failing to honour commitments made over the past eight months following a series of engagements on the employment of its members.

The coalition said its latest ultimatum followed unsuccessful attempts to secure concrete action, despite assurances from government representatives that qualified graduates with disabilities would be absorbed into the public workforce.

According to the group, the government first made a commitment to facilitate their employment after members staged a demonstration in March 2026. It said it subsequently suspended the protest in good faith, but the promised recruitment did not materialise.

The coalition explained that it later organised a second demonstration to demand action, after which government representatives requested a comprehensive list of qualified graduates for consideration.

It said it submitted the list and was subsequently informed that it had been forwarded to the President. However, the group expressed disappointment that no concrete progress had been communicated weeks after the submission.

“Every single pledge made to this coalition over the past eight months has proven to be totally futile,” the statement said.

The coalition accused government representatives of engaging protesters mainly to bring demonstrations to an end, without following through on the commitments made.

“ We are declaring today that our patience is completely exhausted. We will no longer tolerate being used for photo opportunities or pacified by meaningless political rhetoric while qualified citizens with disabilities languish in enforced poverty and unemployment,” the statement added.

The coalition is demanding that the government complete the recruitment and placement of all qualified graduates on its submitted list into public sector institutions within two weeks.

Alternatively, it wants the government to secure financial clearance for their employment in the forthcoming national budget.

The group warned that failure to meet either demand within the stipulated period would lead to a three-day uninterrupted demonstration at Jubilee House.

It said protesters would remain at the seat of government until every graduate on the submitted list received a verifiable employment letter.

“We will not vacate the seat of government, nor will we be pacified by emergency meetings or verbal pledges. We will remain at the gates of Jubilee House until every single graduate on our list receives verifiable employment letters,” the statement warned.

Graduates reject charity, demand equal opportunities

The coalition said its members had overcome significant challenges to obtain university degrees and diplomas, including inaccessible infrastructure and non-inclusive educational environments.

It said their academic achievements and professional qualifications should give them an opportunity to contribute to national development and earn a decent living.

“We did not let our physical constraints stop us from pursuing higher education. We climbed staircases without ramps, sat through non-inclusive lecture halls, navigated unsupportive environments, and defied every societal expectation to earn our university degrees and diplomas,” the statement said.

The group stressed that its members were not seeking charity but equal opportunities to work, support their families and live independently.

“We do not want sympathy or charity. We demand opportunity, fairness, and justice,” it added.

Coalition appeals to traditional and religious leaders

The group has appealed to traditional authorities, religious leaders, civil society organisations and human rights advocates to intervene and help resolve the matter.

Among those it called upon were the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II; the Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin; and the Dormaahene, Oseadeeyo Agyeman Badu II, as well as the leadership of the National House of Chiefs.

It also appealed to the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu; the Christian Council of Ghana; the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference; and the National Peace Council to use their influence to advocate for the rights of graduates with disabilities.

The coalition further called on former Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the Council of State, civil society organisations and governance watchdogs to support its campaign, insisting that the issue should transcend political affiliations.

It maintained that the employment of persons with disabilities was a human rights and social justice issue requiring urgent national attention.

The statement ended with a renewed appeal to the President to direct the release and posting of the graduates on the submitted list, warning that the coalition would proceed with its planned demonstration if the government failed to act within two weeks.

“Enough of the empty talk. Act now, or prepare to meet us at Jubilee House,” Mr Agyare said on behalf of the coalition.