Child labour in Upper East, a matter of worry-participants

Bolgatanga (UE), Feb. 19, GNA- Participants at a day's forum held in Bolgatanga, Upper East Region at the Weekend expressed concern about the spate of child labour in the region.

They noted that even though child rights non-governmental organisations were working hard to prevent child labour, there was high rate of the worse form of child labour and trafficking in the region. The participants mentioned that many children were still involved in small-scale mining in the region and other parts of the country at the expense of their education.

They identified parental irresponsibility, poverty, rural urban migration and other socio-cultural practices as the major causes of the phenomenon.

The participants urged traditional authorities, politicians, National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Commission on Human Rights and Administrative of Justice (CHRAJ), the media and child rights organisations to collaborate efforts to prevent child labour. Mr. Hussein Sulemana, Upper East Director of NCCE, reminded the public that child labour was a violation of the Children's Act. He said children needed to develop mentally, physically, socially and emotionally and enjoined parents to provide their children with basic needs to enable them to develop.

Mr Sulemana cautioned that any person found violating the rights of a child would be made to face the law.

The event that was organized by the National Commission on Civic Education was attended by traditional rulers, media personnel, security personnel, officials from CHRAJ and other major Stakeholders drawn from the region.