Over 100 Irresponsible Fathers Sent to Social Welfare

One hundred and nineteen women in the Upper East Region reported their husbands to the Social Welfare Department for shirking their paternal responsibilities, last year.

Mr John Ansundem, Regional Director of the Department of Social Welfare, who made this known in an interview with the GNA in Bolgatanga on Wednesday, said 144 of such problems, often referred to as maintenance cases, were reported in 1999.

He explained that many of the men, who refuse to perform their paternal responsibilities are usually involved with other women and spend much of their money and time with mistresses rather than their families.

Others too, he said, get fed up with their wives and leave all their responsibilities to them due to petty marriage problems.

The Regional Director said it was surprising that some educated men think that they have the right to treat their children anyhow they like, such as refusing to pay their school fees, clothing or even feeding them.

Mr Ansundem said 26 out of 31 paternity cases that were reported to his office last year were successfully settled with the couples reconciling, while 20 out of 25 similar cases in 1999 were reconciled.

He said some disputes arise due to ignorance on the part of couples and that with intervention and education they easily reconcile with each other.