African Child Day

Story: Matilda Attram

THE Chief Executive of the Ledzokuku Municipal Assembly, Mr Ebenezer Adjei Osekre, has called on society to challenge cultures that inhibit the development of people, particularly children and the physically challenged.
He expressed concern about how some people hid behind obnoxious traditions and cultures and meted out dehumanising acts to children, adding that that would not augur well for the nation’s development.
Mr Osekre made the call when he addressed the African Child Day organised by the Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal Assembly in Accra last Friday.
The celebration, which was on the theme: ‘Breaking Barriers of Physically Challenged’, was aimed at integrating the physically challenged into all that the society engaged in for them to be motivated to contribute their quota to development.
It was also to educate parents on good parental care, as well as enable children in the municipality to interact and share their problems with the Assembly.
Child rights are standards that recognise and protect the dignity, welfare and well-being of all children as stipulated by Act 560 and the 1992 Constitution.
Mr Osekre said the Assembly would seek to identify children, especially the physically challenged and the most vulnerable in the communities, to assist by providing some of their various needs in order to prevent them from engaging in negative activities.
“Children, despite the Act 560 that protects them, are still in great dangers, some of which are child trafficking and enslavement, child prostitution and severe beatings. If such issues are not tackled, then crime rate, unemployment and a lot of social vices will reach intolerable levels, which will pose a threat to the security of life and property,” he said.
“It’s about time society frowns on all these cultural and societal abuses meted to children to ensure their safety to enable these young ones to grow well in freedom to attain the possible heights in life,” he added.
He commended the Assembly for making provision for needy children to be supported through a common fund to make education accessible to all.
The Chairperson for the function, Benjamin Annum Odotei, stated that issues concerning African Child Day were significant since they gave the opportunity to highlight issues such as child trafficking, child prostitution and enslavement that undermined childrens’ future.
“Days such as today are deemed important since we are able to discuss issues concerning the lives of our children. They are the future leaders and therefore must be protected from negative activities,” he said.
The Deputy Regional Director of Social Welfare, Nii Trebi, said children were the greatest asserts of every foundation, if given the proper attention, education and care.
He said the physically challenged should not be discriminated against but involved in national programmes so that they did not feel marginalised.