KMA boss backs end to child labour

The Municipal Chief Executive of Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Kojo Bonsu, has called on parents to support the government in the fight against child labour in the country.

Speaking on Friday to commemorate World Child Labour Day, Mr Bonsu millions of children have become vulnerable to exploitation.

He was speaking on the theme: “End Child Labour in Supply Chains – It’s everyone’s business”. Mr Bonsu said children are forced into domestic work with low income and are prevented from access to education, healthcare and basic necessities of life though indicating that there has been a downward trend in child labour over the past ten years and the numbers attending school have increased.

“[But] we all need to play our collective roles and work hard to ensure that children have access to basic resources including nutrition, health and education so that they may fully realise their potentials in the world,” he said. He asked parents to renew their commitment such that they do everything in their power to stop all forms of child Labour.

The Ghana Statistical Service says about 1.9 million children in the country between the ages of five and 17 are involved in child Labour. One million, two hundred thousand within the same age group are engaged in hazardous forms of child labour, the stats show. It also indicates that the number of children who do not go to school but participate in economic activities is higher than those in school.

The KMA Municipal Chief Executive stressed that education and training are key drivers of social and economic development and they both require investment though government and its partners have performed well in the areas of strengthening legislation, raising awareness, training and the developing materials towards the fight against child labour.

World Child Labour Day, which falls on June 12, had this year’s celebrated by KMA with a special programme to create awareness. Nineteen schools in the Kumasi metropolis participated in the programme organised by KMA.