CHRAJ calls for halt to child trafficking

Yeji (B/A), Feb 27, GNA - The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has identified about 400 children trafficked and engaged in fishing at the lakeside area at Yeji in the Pru District.

Mr Vasco Kwadwo Nyamekye, the Atebubu District Director of the Commission, advised fishermen who had engaged the services of the trafficked children to release them and to retrieve their monies from the parents of the children. He told Ghana News Agency that about 70 percent of the fishermen at Ayimaye-Kyeamekrom had agreed to release the trafficked children aged between six and 10 years. The CHRAJ District Director said the Commission had begun an education programme at Yeji to sensitise the people on human rights. The programme is aimed at creating awareness among the people, especially communities along the lakeside about the evils of child trafficking, neglect of children and forced marriages. He warned two alleged middle women at Domeabra, Madam Salmey Adangbe and Madam Kudo Tippey, who were identified as regular traffickers of children from the Volta Region to desist from the practice.

It was alleged they sold the children to the fishermen at rates ranging from 500,000 cedis to one million cedis, depending on the ages of the children. Mr Nyamekye commended Nana Twumasi VIII of Cherepo Traditional Area for providing a boat that enabled the officials of the Commission to cross the lake to educate the people on their rights and responsibilities.

The chief expressed optimism that the people would adhere to the education given them by the Commission and would stop engaging children below 18 years in slave labour. He pledged that the traditional council would resource the Commission for future educational programmes to further enlighten the people on their rights and responsibilities. 27 Feb 06