The Acting Director for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Florence Ayisi Quartey, has asked children to be aware of people, especially, who would entice them with gifts or pleasantries.
She reminded children of the surge of ritual murders, kidnapping and human trafficking, and advised parents and opinion leaders to protect children against dangers and violence.
Mrs Quartey made the call at this year’s commemoration of the National Children’s day, at Jumapo, in the Eastern Region, on the theme “Role of community-based structures in protecting the right of children.”
She noted that the theme for the celebration was chosen to emphasis the need to strengthen community structures and advocate the integration and linkage of programmes at the community level towards the protection of children.
Mrs Quartey said that the ministry has rolled out a toolkit in all 16 regions for community engagement on how to initiate structures to ensure the protection of children.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Seth Kwame Acheampong, said Child Right and Protection was a global phenomenon, and Ghana recognised the need for strong and concerted efforts in implementing child right and protection policies.
“It is for this reason that the 1992 Constitution established the rights of the child and also provide the framework for the enactment of appropriate legislation to protect the rights of children, fundamental human rights and freedoms, including provisions for child protection”, he noted.
Mr Acheampong urged stakeholders, particularly traditional rulers and religious leaders, to collaborate efforts to protect children, and asked parents to report cases of child abuse to the police.
FROM AMA TEKYIWAA AMPADU AGYEMAN, KOFORIDUA