Do not trade with your children - NYA Director

Mr. Anthony Baah, the Western Regional Director for the National Youth Authority, has encouraged parents and caregivers not to trade their children or wards due to hardship.

He said despite lives difficulties, it did permit the selling children for money under the pretence of a better life.

Mr. Baah said this at the Regional children and youth Conference organised by Engage Now Africa under the theme "Harnessing Youths power to creating child Trafficking Free Ghana."

The Engage Now African an international NGO based in Ghana with its Headquarters in the United States America (USA) has offices across Africa and operates in all the ten regions of Ghana. It has been in operation since 2008 educating people on the effect of modern slavery.

Mr. Baah advised the youth not to listen to anybody claiming to have a job for them abroad only to sell them into slavery, drugs, commercial sex work, which could eventually lead to loss of lives.

He entreated the youth especially to be vigilant of fake Travelling Agencies and to report any suspected activities to the securities for prompt action.

Mr. Bismark Amoah, the Deputy Information Technology Officer from the Western Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) who represented the Western Regional Minister, said out of 2.4million children population aged between five and seven, 1.86million of them representing 21 per cent were victims of child labour.

He said the RCC would support every child protection unit and youth empowerment programmes by working close with the police service and Ghana Immigration Service to arrest and prosecute people engaged in child labour and human trafficking a per the Human Trafficking Act, 2005 (Act 694).