Lawyer Yaw Oppong, Law Lecturer at the Central University
A Law Lecturer at the Central University, Lawyer Yaw Oppong has described President John Mahama’s action of giving out money to a young girl during his campaign tour of the Greater Accra as endorsing child labour.
The President was captured in a video giving out what looked like money to someone in the crowd, whereas the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah stated that the President may have been sharing leaflet and not money as claimed, President Mahama has admitted giving out money as captured.
According to the newspaper, the president dismissed the claim that he was sharing money explaining that “from the top of his vehicle, he saw a little girl with a tray of boiled egg in the crowd being pushed by the cheering crowd amidst the jostling. The tray fell from the girl’s head and the crowd trampled on the fallen eggs. The girl then burst into tears.”
The report said Mr Mahama was touched by what only he could see because of where he was standing and ordered the man who commands his convoy to stop the convoy.
The President then took GH¢50 from his ADC, pointed to the crying girl in the crowd and then reaching down from the top of the vehicle, gave it to a woman standing by her thinking she was with the girl.
“However, he was surprised to see the girl still crying so he asked her if the woman was the mother. When the girl shook her head and he noticed the woman had moved away, he took another GH¢50 from his ADC and gave it to the girl. This drew wild cheers from the teeming crowd,” the report added.
The newspaper said President Mahama recalled that it was the crowd that helped the girl forward towards his vehicle to enable her take the money because they knew he was compensating her for what she had lost.
But speaking on Joy FM’s News File show Saturday, Lawyer Yaw Oppong stated that the president’s action encouraged child labour which is illegal.
“The report mentions a little girl not a lady, then it will support those who want to say that the President was encouraging child labour. Because one of his fundamental functions as a President is to ensure the maintenance and execution of the laws of Ghana..Article 58 clearly states that. If indeed and as has been confirmed that is the story…a little girl carrying boiled eggs for sale, then we must also go further and ask beyond the show of compassion, will he have also then informed the President that there are still children on our streets, who for example should be in school or engaged in other areas that are demanded by education, for example he could have asked somebody to lead the child to the parents or whoever sent her to carry these wares and sell because it’s clearly against the laws.”
He added: “I’m saying that if this story is true, then it will support the view of those who are saying that he may have then encouraged or be part of those who encourage child labour.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Education, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa who was on the same programme stated that President John Mahama’s action was solely driven by compassion.
