Students demand prosecution of pornographic material publishers

Cape Coast, Aug. 18, GNA - School children in the Cape Coast municipality on Thursday appealed to the law enforcement agencies to intensify the clamp down on newspapers, which publish pornographic materials and have them prosecuted.

They contended that such materials encouraged teenage promiscuity and facilitated moral decadence, which could lead to an increase in HIV/AIDS cases.

The school children made the call in an 18-point resolution adopted at the end of a 'mock assembly' session and presented to the Presiding Member, of the Assembly Mr Kwesi Anaisie-Yarquah.

The Assembly, which was organised by the National Youth Council (NYC) with support from the African Youth Alliance (AYA) and the Municipal Assembly, was to enable the school children, mainly junior secondary school students from four selected schools to articulate their concerns about social and developmental issues in the municipality. Among the issues dealt with, were sanitation, education, development projects, teenage pregnancy, drug abuse and adolescent reproductive health.

The students also urged the law enforcement agencies to organise periodic swoops on drug peddlers and pushers as part of efforts to stem drug abuse and the Foods and Drugs Board to establish an office in Cape Coast to enable them to arrest chemical shop owners who sell expired drugs to unsuspecting customers.

On sanitation they appealed to the Assembly to strengthen the various unit committees and offer them incentives to encourage them to organise clean-ups on weekly basis to complement the efforts of the Assembly.

All stakeholders, they said should also assist the Assembly in the fight against HIV/AIDS and appealed to the media to intensify education on adolescent reproductive health while health workers should also step up information on the issue by paying visits to schools. The school children appealed to parents to endeavour to be good role models and to educate their children against indulging in pre-marital sex.

Mr Anthony Nkrumah, Municipal Youth Coordinator, expressed concern about the low attendance of both parents and Assembly members "to such an important function", and said the students needed their support and encouragement.