Children's Problems Overwhelming -JAK

President John Agyekum Kufuor on Tuesday called for a sustained collaborative effort by all stakeholders of the economy to effectively combat problems facing Ghanaian children.

He said, "there is overwhelming evidence that despite Ghana's ratification of the UN Child's Right Convention ten years ago and the passage of the Children's Act 560, 1998, not much progress seem to have been made in addressing problems facing children."

President Kufuor said available statistics show that one out every ten children die before the age of five, adding that 28 per cent of children of school-going age are on the streets, whilst the menace of child abuse still persist.

"The challenge is overwhelming and government cannot do it alone," he said. "I therefore expect the private sector, civil society, religious bodies, traditional leaders and all Ghanaians join the National Partnership for Children (NPC) initiative to ensure the provision of conditions that will promote children's rights, welfare and development."

Mr. Kufuor made the call when he launched the NPC, a subsidiary of the Global Movement for Children (GMC), initiated by former South African President, Nelson Mandela and his wife.

The NPC, initiated by the Ghana National Commission on Children (GNCC), UNICEF, Ministries of Finance and of Women's Affairs, Plan International, Save the Children and World Vision International, would lead all stakeholders of the economy to create conducive conditions for child's rights, welfare and development promotion.

Mr. Kufuor noted that the number of children on the streets and in child labour is disturbing, saying that this has exposed several children to social, mental and physical abuses.

He observed that, added to children abuse is the disparity between the up bringing of the rural and urban children as most of the rural areas lack adequate facilities for proper education and child development, "despite several millions of dollars spent on child development programmes by the previous government."

"We all have a sacred duty towards our children," he said. Mr. Kufuor said, there is the need to develop the moral content of academic programmes to empower children to stand firm in the face of peer pressure, which usually led them into social vices.

"Let us encourage children into sports, reading and the study of additional languages of other nationals to ensure that they develop as complete individuals to face the challenges of parenthood and of globalisation," he said.

He pledged his government's support for the NPC, saying that government has made a provision in this year's budget to provide basic and secondary schools with adequate text books to sustain the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) in the 1992 constitution.

Mrs. Gladys Asmah, Minister for Women's Affairs said the enormity of problems facing children in Ghana calls for a renewal of commitment to children's issues, adding that there was the need for all Ghanaians to intensify assistance to government in this direction.

Mr. Ramesh Schrester, UNICEF representative in Ghana deplored the inadequate effort at ensuring children's rights and said the NPC is to establish a long lasting movement for children's rights and welfare.

Oyeeman Wereko Ampem, Chairman of Barclays Bank, asked parents to be as committed to the up bringing of their children, "as you were at their birth and out-dooring."

Children from the Burma Camp JSS appealed to the president through a mock parliament episode to ensure the expeditious passage of the laws to back the implementation of the UN Child Rights Convention.

Several organisations donated about 100 million cedis in cheques as their contribution to the NPC projects which would include tree planting in school, play grounds, libraries and other facilities and programmes for children.

ECOBANK and Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) bought two music CDs produced and donated by Musiga and autographed by President Kufuor for 20 million and 25 million cedis respectively.

The Winneba Youth Choir, Vision Band and Indigene Africa of the National Theatre, treated the audience to various renditions.

Those who attended the programme include, ministers of state, parliamentarians, members of the diplomatic corps, traditional leaders and heads of industries.