Don’t blame parents for child marriage - Chief

Alhaji Muhammed Sanusi, Chief of Zongo Community in Asawase, a suburb of Kumasi has said that parents must not be blamed for early child marriage in Zongo communities because they are not blamable.

According to the Zongo chief, the children are to be blamed because about 60% of early marriages are caused by the attitude of most of the children, due to bad companies they join in their early ages.

Alhaji Sanusi made the Observation at a sensitization programme organized by Defense for Children International -Ghana (DCI) at Abdul Samit Primary School at Asawase, as part of International Day of African Child. It was on the theme: “Eliminate against early child marriage.”

He stated that it is the wish of every parent to educate his/her child, but when these children are sent to school to study, they rather choose to indulge in bad companies and end up in unhealthy relationships with the opposite sex, enticing them with monies and other things.

He noted that when they get pregnant, the parents have no choice than to encourage them into early marriage, with the mindset that they save their little resources and use them on the younger ones.

He advised the young girls, especially those in their adolescent ages, to be careful with relationships with their male counterparts and to ensure that they take their studies serious to safeguard their ambition of becoming successful future leaders.

Mr. Martin Opoku, a labour officer and a resource person entreated Muslims to guard against early marriage to ensure that their wards have access to quality education to ensure a secured future.

Dr. Opong, founder and Executive Director of the organization, disclosed that Defense for Children International-Ghana would ensure that the less privileged and the voiceless in society including orphans and widowers are heard and given equal opportunities as Ghanaian citizens and children with equal rights.