Ghanaians urged to intensify education on children's right

Cape Coast, May 24, GNA - Mrs Susan Sabaa, National Co-ordinator of the Ghana NGO Coalition on the Rights of the Child, on Tuesday called for intensified education for the elimination of practices that infringe on the rights of children.

She said that even though there are provisions for the protection of children's rights, certain factors still impinge on them. Mrs Sabaa was speaking at a seminar in Cape Coast under the theme "Convention on the Right of the Child" attended by 25 participants from the 21 Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) in the Central Region.

It was aimed at evolving strategies to address factors leading to the abuse of children. She regretted that certain beliefs and cultural practices and inadequate knowledge about the rights of children have affected their development.

Mrs Sabaa noted among other cases that irresponsible parenthood and child abuse in the form of rape, defilement and the denial of basic needs are still prevalent in the society. She called for efforts to implement the convention on the rights of the child adding that the government should evolve strategies to enhance their development.

Mrs Sabaa said that the making of adequate resources available to institutions that are charged with children's welfare to discharge their duties efficiently could help in achieving this. Mr George Percy Ashun, Municipal Chief Executive, in a speech read on his behalf regretted that even though Ghana was the first to ratify the UN convention on the right of the child, Ghanaian children still continue to be exploited and abused.

He noted that the Municipality now has more street children because parents in their quest for their material welfare neglect the safety and future of their children. Mr Ashun deplored the way some children of school going age roam the streets as beggars and said this is would not help the efforts to promote tourism. He called on parents to take good care of their c