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Rising above the cerebral palsy stigma – Nii Anyetei’s story
Nii Anyetei
He was diagnosed with jaundice at birth which later developed into cerebral palsy, but that did not stop him from finding success despite the challenges he encountered growing up.
Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that affect a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture. It is most common motor disability in childhood.
Born in 1990, 33-year-old Nii Anyetei Akogyeram was a victim of stigmatisation from friends and mates at school with some calling him with names like ‘saliva boy’, ‘snake worms’ and other weird names which often provoked him.
With the help of the late Dr W.Y Anoff, who nicknamed him Professor and helped him with his speech therapy, Nii Anyetei refused to let his disability affect his education and career.
He currently holds a Diploma in Software Engineering from IPMC and now works with KFC, North Industrial Area branch as a Surveillance Officer.
Speaking to The Spectator on Monday, Nii Anyetei said, he did not attend a special school based on the advice of his doctor. He had his nursery and kindergarten education at Super Day school in Cantonment and was one of the best pupils in the school.
After completing his nursery and kindergarten education, his parents enrolled him in Mother Care school at East Cantonment close to the Airforce Officer’s Mess where he had his primary education.
“At my primary school I had enough love and care from my teachers and classmates even though other children in the school were scared of me because of my condition,” he said.
He later left Mother Care in class six and continued at the Air Force Basic School in Burma Camp where “I had much fun,” and was appointed a general overseer of the school. He said when writing the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in 2006, the school had to request for extra time so he could finish all his papers due to his condition.
He wrote the papers and passed with flying colours. He attended Armed Forces Senior High School and offered General Arts. “I failed my papers three years later and had to stay home for four years,” he said. His father later took him to M&J computer institute in Labone in 2012 where he became the best student in class and later assisted the lecturer in teaching other students
He passed his final paper and started working at Kenthouse Security Company as a controller and was later moved to administration. In 2015, he enrolled at IPMC where he later obtained a Professional Diploma in Software Engineering and Programming but could not cope with both work and school so he resigned from work.
Nii Anyetei said he loves sports and adventure, so at his leisure time he either plays football or basketball, swims as well as go for camping. He is a Christian and a member of the Prince Emmanuel Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church, at Ring Road.
He said in order to help curb the plastic menace, he and his friends make slippers and other products from plastics. “I am also an advocate for cerebral palsy because people with the condition are stigmatised, so I came up with a campaign to reduce it, or possibly end stigmatisation in the world,” he said.
Nii Anyetei is the founder of Cerebral Palsy Awareness Ghana, an organisation which seeks to create awareness, educate and help reduce stigmatisation of the condition.
“I want to help people with disability especially cerebral palsy, this is my burning desire,” he added. Touching on the country’s educational system with regards to inclusivity, he described it as very poor when it comes to persons with disability.
He explained that some head teachers refused to register children with disability for the BECE saying the only option for parents was to register their wards privately.
Nii Anyetei said, people with disability needed assistive devices for their education as most of them did not have good handwriting which affected them negatively in the examination.
“Due to my bad handwriting, I was not able to pass my examination, because the examiners could not see what I had written,” he revealed.
He, therefore, urges the government and the Ghana Education Service to provide persons with disability with assistive devices.
“It is needed, it’s going to be very useful because we can’t use our hands to write well,” he stressed. Nii Anyetei dreams of having a family of his own in the near future.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
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ASWIM lauds Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang
The Association of Women in the Media, (ASWIM) has congratulated Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang on her historic achievement as Ghana’s first female Vice President.
The association said her trailblazing journey with sterling accomplishments from academia to politics, is undoubtedly, a vivid inspiration to countless women and girls across Ghana and Africa.
This was contained in a statement signed by its president, Mrs Mavis Kitcher, and copied to The Spectator on Tuesday in Accra.
“ASWIM celebrates your remarkable career, marked by numerous firsts, including the first female Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, (UCC), and the first female to hold a professional chair in Ghana, (UCC),” the statement said.
It said the accomplishments of Prof Opoku- Agyemang were clear testament to the brilliance, resilience and resourceful nature of the complete beautiful African woman.
“As she takes on this new role, ASWIM proudly lauds her commitment to education, women’s empowerment, distinguished public service and patriotism and is very confident that her pursuit of excellence, love for humanity, humility, decency, modesty and commitment to the welfare of the vulnerable will characterise Ghana’s political leadership and public service,” the statement added.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
Entertainment
Demolition of Fantasy Dome unfair — Mark Okraku-Mantey
Months after the Fantasy Dome was dismantled to make way for construction at the Ghana International Trade Fair site, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr Mark Okraku-Mantey, has expressed concern over the manner the facility was destroyed.
In an interview on Daybreak Hitz with Andy Dosty, Mr Okraku-Mantey criticised the handling of the dome’s dismantling, suggesting that it could have been done without causing damage.
“I don’t think that leadership gave instructions that they should do what happened. The structure was a prefab but I hear the people destroyed it. That one, we cannot defend it. It is unfair to him (owner). Sometimes, you give instructions and people will go and do things that will make you look bad,” he stated.
When asked about any punitive measure against the workers responsible for the destruction, Mr Okraku-Mantey clarified that the Trade Fair does not fall under his ministry.
He said he had previously contacted the owner, Leslie Quaynor, to discuss relocating the dome, and even suggested the National Museum as a potential site, though it was too small.
The demolition of the 20,000-seater Fantasy Dome occurred on March 16, 2024.
According to Dr Agnes Adu, CEO of the Ghana Trade Fair Company Limited, the action was taken after multiple notices were given to Quaynor to vacate the premises for redevelopment, as per their tenancy agreement.
Dr Adu noted that all previous tenants had complied except for the Fantasy Dome.
Quaynor, in an interview with JoyNews, confirmed that his lease had ended, and was in the process of relocating the dome.
He had requested an extension, which was denied, leading him to seek a writ and an injunction from an Accra High Court to halt the demolition.
Despite this, the demolition proceeded, causing significant damage to the structure.
Quaynor described the incident as a major setback, not only for his business but also for the entertainment industry, which relies on venues like the Fantasy Dome.
