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How can we lessen the burden of these children?
A child pouring dawadawa fruit
Over hundreds of children between seven and 12 years living in Kumdi and its environs in the Kpandai District of the Northern Region are often seen carrying heavy firewood from the bush as a way of supporting their parents to take care of them.
Though seen as a normal obligation by children, some of the parents should be considerate in pushing their children to carry heavy load.
Cynthia, an eight-year-old girl who was photographed among her colleagues confirmed how heavy the load they carry but they have no option.
In an interview with Mr. Solomon Masam, a father of six and a resident of Kumdi he said: “The practice has always been there from time immemorial, so they do not see it as against the right of their children, but rather moulding them to be responsible people when they grow”.
He said that, the children were assisting their parents to cater for them which was not a harmful practice.
He said “In our part of the country, the more you have children the more you become respected and powerful because of the value and support they give us”.
Mr. Enock Bolni a youth advocate and at volunteer in Bimbilla also in the Northern Region said, the practice was very common and had been in existence for decades which would be very difficult to stop.
He said, “Though it is a bad practice, poverty is the underlying factor of the practice, which has led to forced marriages and other unbearable circumstances these children go through.
“The practice has forced many of the children especially girls to travel to seek greener pastures in Southern Ghana, because there, they believe they will make money from their labour as compare with what they do in their communities.
“And until an effective national policy and regulation be implemented to address this situation, it will be difficult to stop the practice”.
Madam Esther Boateng, the Northern Zone Manager of Actionaid Ghana a non-governmental organisation working in the area also said, addressing this problem of using children in farm instead of school needed more collaboration to build the capacities of state institutions to implement measures to identify and protect vulnerable children and victims of the practice.
She said, to implement measures to tackle human trafficking and forced labour, including the worst forms of child labour, it wa`s very important to partner with other institutions to achieve the purpose.
From: Geoffrey Buta, Kumdi
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Member of Parliament for Akuapem North, Sammy Awuku, has expressed deep sorrow following the sudden passing of Isaac Batsa, the constituency secretary for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) lawmaker issued a statement on Tuesday reacting to the news, which has shocked the local political community.
Mr.Awuku praised the late NDC secretary for his bipartisan approach to local governance.
He noted that despite their different political affiliations, Batsa consistently rose above party lines to serve the constituency with diligence.
The MP revealed that the news was particularly shocking given that he had last interacted with Batsa just three days prior on Saturday.
Concluding his statement, Sammy Awuku extended his heartfelt condolences to Batsa’s family, the constituency and regional executives, and the entire NDC fraternity, wishing the deceased peaceful eternal rest.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
