Government urged to address problem of street-child

Tamale, Feb. 11, GNA - Alhaji Abukari Inusah, Northern Region focal person on the Poverty Reduction Project (PRP) has appealed to the government to address the poverty situation of parents of street children.

He said unless this was done, the phenomena of street children would continue since parents could not take care of their children because of abject poverty.

Alhaji Inusah said this at a day's sensitisation seminar for media practitioners and other key social partners concerned with issues about street children in Tamale on Tuesday.

He said child streetism was a breeding ground for thieves and armed robbers, as well as prostitution. "This is becoming a menace to society since the country's future would be at stake if our future leaders grow up in such an environment".

He said the seminar was to sensitize the media in particular on child streetism to enable them educate the public on the problems. Alhaji Inusah said the government had contracted a loan of 2.6 million dollars from the World Bank to train street children in employable skills, such as batik and dye, artisans and tailoring.

Mr Abudlai Salifu, the Tamale Municipal Coordinating Director, expressed concern about the growing incidence of child streetism in the city and appealed to all relevant bodies to assist in solving the issue. He said the government on its part has already taken the initiative by embarking on the Community Based Poverty Reduction Project (CPRP), to alleviate the plight of children.

Mr S.S. Nayinah, Northern Regional Director of the Ghana National Commission on Children, briefed participants at the seminar on the rights of children and tasked the district assemblies to protect them.