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Over 700 child labor abuse cases found in Kumasi
Kumasi, April 26, Ghanadot/GNA- Over 700
children had been identified in ten suburbs of Kumasi as
being involved in the worst forms of child labour.
Out of the number, 410 have been selected to be given free
education or employable skills.
Mr Martin Opoku Sekyere, Senior Labour Officer at the Kumasi
Labour Office, revealed this in Kumasi on Friday, during a
sensitisation programme organised by the National Commission
on Civic Education (NCCE), in conjunction with the Labour
Commission, for members of the Anloga Carpenters and
Woodworkers Association.
He however noted that, some of the children could not be
traced after the decongestion exercise due to the fact that,
they were living in kiosks and other slumps when a research
was conducted to identify them.
Mr Sekyere said that the education was in line with the
joint collaboration between the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly
(KMA) and the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) in
their efforts to fight against the worst forms of child
labour.
He mentioned the child labour prone areas as Anloga, Asafo,
Aboabo Number one and Two, Moshie Zongo, Adum, Suame Kotoko,
Race Course, Roman Hill and Dichemso.
The Senior Labour Officer emphasised said parents of the
children selected would also be given employable skills by
the Centre for Development of People (CEDEP) and the Small
Skill Business Services Network (SSBSN).
It’s being sponsored by the KMA and ILO, and would equip
them with soft loans to enable them to take care of their
children.
Mr Michael Ampong, Senior Field Officer of the NCCE stressed
that the worst forms of child labour deprive children of
their education and also affect their health.
He said some of the children were exposed to sophisticated
machines and hazardous chemicals at the carpentry shops,
which were dangerous to their physical developments.
He also mentioned mining and trokosi as places where
children perform tedious jobs, but added that, child work
such as doing household chores were allowed since they do
not pose any threat to the child’s health.
The NCCE Officer said child labour is often caused by
misplaced priority, poverty, violence in the home, peer
pressure among others, saying, they could lead to death,
deformity and increased dependency rate and cautioned all to
desist from child labour.
He said offenders could be prosecuted if they are reported
to the Commission on Human Rights and Administration Justice
(CHRAJ) and the Domestic Violence and Victims’ Support Unit
(DOVVSU).
Torgbuiga Mawufe-Ame Fugah, Chairman of the Anloga
Woodworkers Association promised to help eradicate the
menace, and appealed to policy makers to initiate policies
to favour the micro and small scale industries.
GNA
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