MP demands for release of ‘rescued’ children

The Member of Parliament for Afram Plains North, Betty Nana Efua Krosbi Mensah has appealed for the release of children who were wrongfully taken away from their parents on the excuse that they were being trafficked.

Making a statement at the floor of parliament, Madam Krosbi Mensah said some children in her constituency, whiles on their daily routines of helping their parents in their fishing expedition in the waters around the Dwarf Island on the Volta lake recently, were taken away by some members of an International NGO called the International Justice Mission, accompanied by armed police.

“Mr. Speaker for the past one month, these children many of whom are in school have been arrested and detained at places unknown to both parents and stakeholders in the constituency under the guise of rescuing them what baffles us is why this raid was done when schools were on vacation”, she stated.

According to her, what worries her most is that schools have reopened now and these children are expected back in school but they are nowhere to be found.

Madam Krosbi Mensah said the essence of family bond cannot be overemphasized, pointing out that this importance explains why the UN General Assembly in 1993 dedicated May 15 of every year to the celebration of International Day of Families.

“The roles of played by families in the bringing up of children, shaping up their character and its eventual consequences on the society cannot be replaced by these NGs. The fundamental psychological, socio-cultural and economic needs of our children are better met by the family and these roles must be appreciated by all”, she stated.

According to her, human beings have several emotional needs, the gratification of which is essential for the mental as well as physical wellbeing of everyone, saying the family most often is the only source of comfort in the very difficult moments.

“We cannot dispute the contributions of NGOs to our societies. However, we cannot even dispute their deliberate approach of indirectly deculturalizing our societies by systematically stripping off our ancestral values, beliefs, lifestyles and heritage whilst replacing them with Western cultures and beliefs of which many are seen as immoral and decayed”, she stated.

Madam Krosbi Mensah who said she has already petitioned the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and copied parliament of the unlawful detention of the so called trafficked children, urged NGOs to work in consultation with stakeholders like the traditional rulers, opinion leaders and Members of Parliament to curb child labour and trafficking and bring the situation to a lasting solution.