Segbefia Commends Mahama’s Social Protection Reforms
Aspiring National Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, Dr. Edem Segbefia, has commended reforms within the gender, children, and social protection sector under President John Dramani Mahama, describing them as a decisive pivot from neglect to active delivery. Speaking during an engagement with grassroots representatives in the Tamale and Savanna regions, he framed the measures as instruments that are recalibrating livelihoods, restoring dignity, and reinforcing political capital at the base.
According to the NDC news report, Dr. Segbefia outlined a suite of interventions that have altered conditions for vulnerable populations since the administration’s return. The Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty programme has cleared outstanding arrears and expanded enrolment, with priority accorded to female-headed households, persons with disability, and families with young children. Market women, shea processors, female farmers, and artisans are receiving low-interest credit, technical training, and market linkages through coordinated efforts of the Gender Ministry and the Ghana Enterprises Agency.
The reforms extend to child protection and education, where strengthened school feeding and capitation grant support have reduced household burdens and improved retention. Social welfare and child labour units have been resourced to intervene against abuse, trafficking, and exploitation, while re-entry initiatives are facilitating the return of girls to classrooms. For persons with disability and the aged, disbursement of the PWD Fund and monitoring of the District Assemblies Common Fund allocation are enabling assistive devices, livelihood capital, and apprenticeship opportunities.
Dr. Segbefia argued that social protection is not merely welfare, but political strategy. He noted that when a grandmother in Bawku West receives cash to stabilize a household, when a shea entrepreneur in Nalerigu accesses capital, or when a girl in Pusiga returns to school after pregnancy, the household experiences governance in tangible form. That visibility, he asserted, converts compassion into loyalty and loyalty into electoral endurance. The party, he maintained, must therefore organize beneficiaries, document outcomes, and ensure transparency in disbursement.
The intervention arrives amid heightened expectations for inclusive governance across Ghana’s northern belt. Historically, gaps in targeting, delayed payments, and weak coordination undermined confidence in safety-net programmes. The current approach emphasizes harmonized data, fewer duplications, and community accountability, positioning the sector as a barometer by which citizens assess the state’s commitment to its most vulnerable.
The task ahead is consolidation. If delivery is sustained and communication is disciplined, the reforms may crystallize a durable narrative of care, protection, and results. For the NDC grassroots, the directive is clear: translate policy into lived experience, and let that experience animate mobilization.
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Source: NDC news report
Author: Korkor Anumu
