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Cohabitation, cause of high teenage pregnancy at Cape Coast — Social Welfare Officer
The Cape Coast Metropolitan Director of Social Welfare, Mr. Okine Mustapha Aryee, has called on the chiefs and family heads within the Oguaa Traditional Area, to institute punitive measures against men who impregnate girls out of wedlock in the municipality.
He said that cohabitation among the youth was becoming a norm in the metropolis thereby contributing to a high rate of teenage pregnancies in the town.
The situation, he said, had become necessary due to a number of parental neglect and wondered why people must be left to experiment with marriage which was supposed to be a sacred and serious business.
Mr Aryee made the proposal at a stakeholder engagement organised by the Oguaa Traditional Council with the support of the Member of Parliament for Cape Coast South, Mr Kweku Rikkets Hagan to address a number of challenges confronting the traditional area.
He stated that, most of the men who were responsible for the pregnancies sometimes refused to take up responsibility after the ladies had been impregnated.
Marriage, he said, was not mandatory and that, those who were not ready should not try to experiment it for fun, saying, “Marriage is a serious business”.
“Most of the men who refused to take responsibility, are now paying for the upkeep of their children at the Social Welfare department after the mothers have reported them to the department,” he said.
The Metropolitan Director said that drivers, fishermen and teachers were the highest number of men responsible for such teenage pregnancies in the metropolis which was affecting the development of children in the area.
He mentioned parental irresponsibility as also one of the major causes of teenage pregnancy and urged parents to support the efforts in moulding their children.
The Omanhen of the Oguaa Traditional Area, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II, in his address, expressed concern about the rate of road accidents and called for action to address the situation.
He expressed worry about the rate of teenage pregnancies in the area and called on the youth to be committed to their studies.
The MP, Mr. Kweku Rickket Hagan, who chaired the event expressed concern about the poor performance of pupils at the basic education level which he said denied majority of them the opportunity to gain admission into some of the elite Senior High Schools within the metropolis
On his part, the MP for Cape Coast North, Mr Minta Nyarko also urged the residents to explore the various opportunities opportunities available for the development of the area.
From David O. Yarboi-Tetteh, Cape Coast
Mrs Patience Antonio, a Child and Family Development Advocate, has called for a national campaign to reduce the growing reliance on breast milk substitutes among nursing mothers in Ghana.
According to Mrs Antonio, scientific evidence shows that breastfeeding improves a child’s emotional stability, boosts intelligence, strengthens the immune system, and provides long-term health benefits. She made these remarks in an interview with The Spectator in Accra last week, emphasizing the importance of breastfeeding for a child’s overall development.
She explained that breastfeeding is not just a biological act of feeding but a key emotional and developmental bridge between mother and child. She also highlighted the need for the recommended six-month maternity leave period to ease the pressure on mothers to return to work prematurely.
“Breastfeeding creates intimacy and trust. It assures the baby of love and security, which becomes the foundation for their emotional health,” Mrs Antonio noted, warning that abandoning exclusive breastfeeding could have long-term implications on children’s social and emotional wellbeing.
Consequently, she called for a minimum of five months of fully paid maternity leave for Ghanaian mothers to enable effective breastfeeding, bonding, and healthier child development. She also urged workplaces to implement family-friendly policies, including private spaces for breastfeeding, flexible working arrangements for nursing mothers, and stronger support systems for new parents.
Mrs Antonio further encouraged families and society to actively support mothers during breastfeeding, stressing that many women struggle due to lack of assistance at home or the pressure to return to work too soon. She emphasized, “If we want a healthier, emotionally stable generation, then we must make breastfeeding a priority and support mothers to do it without stress.”
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
Spectator
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The Nanvili Community School in the Mion District of the Northern Region is facing severe infrastructural challenges, affecting teaching and learning for pupils in the area.
The school, which serves five surrounding communities with a total of 58 pupils, has deteriorated to the extent that many children have stopped attending classes. Poor classroom conditions and the lack of desks have made teaching and learning difficult. During a visit to the school, the gate-free classrooms were found filled with goat and sheep droppings.
During the rainy season, both teachers and pupils are often cut off from the school due to bad roads and flooding. Teaching activities are frequently suspended for weeks, negatively affecting academic performance.
The Assemblyman for the area, Mr. Dawuni Mutawakil, expressed concern, noting that the situation is worrying since these pupils are expected to compete with their counterparts in urban areas who have access to better facilities. He added that due to limited space, classes have been merged, with pupils from Primary One and Two, Three and Four, and Five and Six sharing the same classrooms.
The Chief of Nanvili, Abu Kassim, also appealed to the government and non-governmental organisations to come to the aid of the community. He emphasized that the current state of the school discourages children from nearby communities from attending.
Both the Chief and Assemblyman have called for urgent intervention to improve infrastructure and provide furniture for the pupils to ensure quality education for children in the Nanvili area.
By Geoffrey Buta, Nanvili, Northern Region
Spectator
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