The Yendi office of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) has ended its 2017 Citizenship Week Celebration after covering 35 Primary and 25 Junior High Schools in the Yendi Municipality of Northern Region.

Their target of 6,872 school children comprising of 3,621 males and 3,056 females were directly contacted.

Alhaji Sulemana Alhassan Iddi, the Yendi Municipal Director of the Commission said during the Citizenship Week Celebration in some schools, it was discovered during discussions at the schools that most parents do not take care of the basic needs of girls.

Alhaji Sulemana said the issues were uncovered when the girls were advised to stay off child prostitution and pre-marital sex to avoid teenage pregnancies.

He said a large percentage of the girls complained that their sex partners provided all their basic needs including; school uniforms and other educational materials.

He said the situation had resulted in high level of child marriages, teenage pregnancies, child mothers as well as high female school drop-out rates in the area.

Touching on high level of delinquency and patronage of night life among children in basic schools, Alhaji Sulemana said during the discussions it also came out that most children loitered about in town at night other than staying at home to study and sleep.

He said most of the children mentioned some popular areas of the Municipality that hosted their night activities.

He added that the children also patronised activities organised during weddings and naming ceremonies where internet fraudsters broadcast bank money for the children to scrumble to pick.

Alhaji Sulemana stated that the activities did not only keep the children out of school, but also introduced them to internet fraud popularly known as “Scamming or sakawa.”

He said the sub-theme for the celebration “Restoring Our Ghanaian Values, The Role of the Child” was appropriate adding that some of the schools visited included; Yendi Municipal Assembly (YMA) Junior High School, Na-Yakubu JHS, Yendi M.A. clusters of primary schools in the Yendi Municipality with the aim of inculcating in the children the values of good citizenship.

A Resource Person Gumpali-Lana, Naa Shei Sumani Sadick a retired educationist and Chief of Gumpali Division in Tatale/Sanguli District on his part advised the pupils to be honest, humble and aspire for excellence.

He urged them to be decent and use decorous language when speaking to their teachers, parents, and elders in the society.

He urged them to be disciplined in both their private and public life.

Speaking at Yendi Presbyterian JHS, the Yendi Municipal Police Commander DSP Patrick Kwampong advised the pupils against indulging in acts that would place them in conflict with the law.

Mr Kwapong advised them to respect the laws and school rules and study in school.

The Yendi Municipal Director of Health Service, Hajia Hajara Harunah advised the pupils to put the interest of Ghana first in all their dealings and respect national symbols such as the National flag, Coat of Arms and National Colours.

Hajia Hajara urged them to protect and safeguard the environment by properly disposing off plastics and other wastes, desist from setting bush fires and constantly clean their school compounds