Child Protection Network expresses worry about street children in U/E

The Upper East branch of the Child Protection Network (CPN) has expressed worry about the spate of street children in the Bolgatanga Municipality and its environs.

Most of the street children are school children, who had abandoned schooling and are being used by traders to do menial jobs, such as selling of food items and water.

The situation gets worse in the night as many of them remain on the streets and sleep on pavements and in front of shops, whilst others spend the night watching pornographic films.

This came to light when the Members of the Upper East CPN met the Regional Chairman of the Ghana Private and Transport Union (GPRTU), Mr Godfred Abolbire, as well as traders, to deliberate on how best they could curb the trend.

Despite the numerous interventions undertaken by a Child Right NGO, Afrikids Ghana, to curb the menace, the situation keeps on blowing out of proportion.

Mr Pontius Pilate Apaabey Baba, the Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), who is the convener of the CPN, said every child matters and must be taken care off.

He noted that the CPN could not fight the menace alone and appealed to the GPRTU, parents, chiefs, District Assemblies and the Media to collaborate with the CPN to deal with the problem.

He attributed the problem to poverty, ignorant and parental neglect as well as peer pressure and said the CPN would embark upon sustainable programmes, involving traditional authorities, parents, opinion leaders, the Assemblies, GPRTU and the Police among others, to curb the situation.

They meeting also discussed child trafficking and the migration of the youth, mostly below the age of 18, to the southern part of the country to do menial jobs for a living.

Mr Ania David, the Regional Organizer of the CPN said under the law it was wrong for parents to allow children below the age of 18 to travel unaccompanied, adding that, the situation was worse in the Bolgatanga, Zorko, Bongo, Sumbrungu and Pelingu areas.

“Our children are our future leaders. The Assembly has the mandate to stop this canker, particularly stopping video centres, which operates in the night on the streets, enabling children to watch negative films,” he said.

Mr Godfred Abolbire, the GPRTU Chairman said last year his outfit and the Police mounted checkpoints at barriers and managed to stop a lot of school children below the age of 18 from traveling unaccompanied to the southern parts of the country.

“We will not want to see a repeat this. A committee has been set up to stop the practice. I have also warned the various station managers and chairmen not to allow under aged children to travel unaccompanied”.

He said some of the children have resorted to travelling to Walewale and Tamale before continuing their journey to the south of the country.

Mrs Geogina Abere-Ako, the Regional Treasurer in charge of the CPN, impressed upon NGOs and other microfinance institutions to go into partnership with viable businesses in the region to engage school children who are not under age during vacation periods.

UNICEF is supporting the CPN in the Upper East Region to deal with issues affecting the growth and development of children.