Support sensitization campaigns to prevent kidnapping in Ghana - Government told

Government has been urged to complement the efforts of the Human Rights Reporters Ghana(HRRG) including other Non-Governmental and Civil Society Organizations championing the cause of sensitization campaigns on kidnapping in the country in order to bring the activities of kidnappers to a halt.

Mr. Samson Dugbaze, the Headmaster of Dominion International School located at Ablekuma-Joma in the Ga West Municipal Assembly of the Greater Accra Region made the plea in an interview on the sidelines of a sensitization exercise on kidnapping when the team of Human Rights Reporters Ghana visited the school during the early hours of Thursday, April 4, 2019.

The exercise, according to the HRRG’s Executive Director, Mr. Joseph Kobla Wemakor forms part of the group’s campaign which seeks to demystify the phenomenon of kidnapping in Ghana in a bid to help children who are mostly targeted not to fall victims to pranks of kidnappers.

In all, over 40 pupils from the Dominion International School at Ablekuma were made to understand the phenomenon of kidnapping as well as the tricks employed by the so-called perpetrators to lure unsuspecting victims.

They were equally given tips to serve as guidelines that will immune them from falling victims to the tricks of the so-called kidnappers whenever they encounter them anywhere.

The one and half hour interactive encounter the participants had with the HRRG team that visited the school during the exercise can be described as very fruitful since it highlighted the disturbing issues as well as offer solutions on how to deal with the kidnapping phenomenon in Ghana.

When the participants were given the chance to share their experiences, some kids opened up to frightening tales which almost looked like they’ve had a close shave encounter with the activities of kidnappers in their community.

Beatrice, 10, class 3 pupil revealed on her way to school one fateful morning while walking alone on a secluded road, she noticed a strange man signaling to her to stop so he could ask for direction.

“All of a sudden I felt my throbbing, and was gripped by cold, sensing there’s a looming danger, I took to my heels as fast as my legs could carry me till I got to school".

A pupil of class 4, Martin, 12, said, "the roads through the village to school are so secluded that I sometimes feel I might get kidnapped when walking alone to school".

Headmaster of the school, Samson Dugbaze commenting on the exercise said, "It’s something that will help us a lot because what we're experiencing now can affect anyone so having this opportunity to learn is remarkable".

When asked about his views on what should government do to help bring the activities of kidnappers in the country to a halt, he averred that proper sensitization of kids in both schools and at home is the key.

Here, therefore, appealed to government, corporate institutions including well-meaning Ghanaians to assist the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society Groups in the country championing various sensitization campaigns including the Human Rights Reporters Ghana to be able reach to all students of from schools across the entire country.

The Human Rights Reporters Ghana(HRRG) is an NGO committed to ending all forms of human rights abuses in the country. It is mandated by law to carry out its objectives to save humanity, having duly registered under the Registrar General Department of Ghana on Wednesday February 13, 2019.

With a membership of forty-five (45) which keeps rising, HRRG has also been duly registered under the Amnesty International Ghana (AIG), the local chapter of the International Human Rights Organization.

HRRG is made up of combined group of journalists and human rights activists formed purposely with the aim of shedding light, sounding alarm and drawing the attention of duty bearers to take the necessary actions to tackle issues in a bid to end up all forms of human rights abuses the country is confronted with which limits the freedom and fundamental human rights all and sundry especially women, girls and children who are the most hit.

Since the troubling announcements of mysterious disappearances of some Ghanaians including the three missing girls in the Western Region who are yet to be found, the Human Rights group has never rest on its laurel.

But rather, it has taken the initiative to conduct series of sensitization exercises within some schools in the country where over thousand students were educated on the tricks of kidnappers so as to prevent them from falling victims to the tricks of the kidnappers.

Some of the schools the HRRG team visited to conduct the exercise in the country so far include the Grand Success Academy, World of Hope International School, The Tower Preparatory and Junior High School and the Hilen Springfield, the Dominion International school among others.