Youth proposes marriage programme to combat HIV/AIDS

Nwoase (B/A) Feb 10, GNA - The chiefs and elders of Nwoase in the Wenchi District of Brong Ahafo have accepted a proposal by the youth for a marriage programme to allow them to pick their partners as part of efforts to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS in the area.

A forum would therefore be held for the unmarried youth to choose their marriage partners.

On the acceptance of partners, the chiefs and elders would facilitate the performance of marriage rites after conducting investigations into the backgrounds of the partners.

Nana Kwame Antwi, Gyasehene, told Ghana News Agency in an interview that the chiefs and elders accepted the youth's proposal on realizing that the revival of this age-old practice could greatly help to reduce the high incidence of immoral behaviour of the youth.

He noted with regret that in spite of educational programmes on the destructive nature of the pandemic, there had not been any significant change in the attitudes and behaviour of people, especially the youth towards sex.

We believe that revisiting this old custom would be an effective antidote to the spread of the pandemic, since the youth would be forced to be faithful to their partners, the Gyasehene stated.

A number of the youth interviewed by the GNA confirmed the programme, saying that as future leaders they had to remain healthy and strong enough to initiate development programmes.

"We like the programme because we mooted the idea knowing that it will help us to lead chaste and morally upright lives for our well-being, said 23-year-old Ms. Naomi Kyere, a seamstress.

Kwadwo Tabi, a 28-year old farmer lauded the idea and commended the chiefs and elders for accepting to facilitate the ceremony and expressed the hope that other communities would emulate them as their contribution to the national efforts to check immoral behaviour.

Nana Kofi Drobo 111, Chief Fetish Priest of the Kwaku Firi Shrine in the town, called on chiefs to redouble efforts towards the development of their areas.

He advised them to eschew in partisan politics that could be detrimental to the development efforts of the government and asked members and supporters of political parties to avoid insults and violent acts during their electioneering campaigns "because such acts cannot help us in our development efforts".

Nana Drobo called for the institution of regional committees to prosecute bushfire offenders instead of the courts.

He noted that the country had lost substantial portions of its forest cover to bushfires and called on all to assist in eradicating the menace, which he said had gradually become an annual 'ritual'.

The chief fetish priest, who is at the forefront of the campaign against bushfires in the region, having helped to train about 140 fire volunteers in Wenchi district, appealed to the government to provide logistics like Wellington boots, cutlasses and some allowance to fire volunteers to enable them to work effectively.

Nana Drobo condemned the current desire among the youth to get rich quick by employing all tactics to achieve the goal, "without much sweat".

He urged Ghanaians to shun negative foreign cultures, whose practice, he said, could derail national progress.