Child prostitution in Tamale Metropolis increasing - NAPRM

Tamale, Nov. 30, GNA - A report released by the National African Peer Review Mechanism (NAPRM), had revealed an increasing rate of child prostitution in the Tamale Metropolis, which is said to be very worrying to the moral fabric of the people.

The report, which was conducted in 20 communities with 200 people responding to questionnaires, revealed 13.5 per cent rate of child prostitution in the area.

Dr. Francis Appiah, Executive Secretary of the NAPRM expressed concern about the growing incidents of child prostitution, saying, "It is worrying for Tamale metropolis to be engaging in the act, which would put the future of the youth at risk and danger".

Dr. Appiah was addressing about 75 Assembly Members in the Tamale Metropolis to seek their views and inputs into the report for onward submission to the President of the Republic. The report is also part of a nationwide survey, which is currently on going in two districts in the Northern Region, the Tamale Metropolis and Walawale Municipality.

The survey would form part of the national report to be presented to the Africa Union (AU) for review.

An Assembly Member for Pagazaa Electoral Area, Iddrisu Hardi, who also confirmed the child prostitution report, told the GNA that the situation was more serious than the report captures.

He said it was very common to see young girls in some hotels and night clubs between the hours of 2300 hours to 0200 hours parading as sex workers, adding that, "They disguise themselves before going out making it difficult to identify them after their business hours". The NAPRM also cited corruption and unemployment in the Tamale Metropolis as endemic, while the police and CEPS topped the list of corrupt institutions in the area.

Mr Alhassan Imoro, an Assembly Member for Datoyili Electoral Area expressed his worry and concern about the sample size of 200 respondents from only 20 communities', which he thinks is too small to be generalized because it is not representative enough.

On democracy, the respondents commended the country for championing democratic governance and urged the government to continue giving more freedom to the people to express their views.