Let's have stiffer punishment for impregnating pupils

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Millennium City, Mr. Kofi Asmah, has urged the Government to institute stiffer punishment for men who impregnate teenage pupils and students.

He said the promulgation of such a law would go a long way to protect the girl-child against dropping out of school because of pregnancy.

Mr. Asmah made the suggestion when he addressed the media at Gomoa Brofo in the Gomoa West District of the Central Region at the weekend.

Ghana already has a law against defilement with offenders liable to imprisonment.

According to Mr. Asmah, too many girls however drop-out of school because of pregnancy and only a handful of them are able to continue their education.

He, however did not have the statistics to buttress his assertion.

The CEO suggested to the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to team up with traditional rulers to enact bye-laws that would support girl-child education.

He advised parents to take the education of their children seriously to enable them to become useful future citizens.

Mr. Asmah expressed worry about the poor standards of education in Gomoa West, especially of the girl-child, and asked stakeholders in education to play their expected roles seriously to reverse the situation.

He also cautioned school boys to desist from cyber fraud and concentrate on their studies to pass their examinations successfully.

Mr. Asmah said education is the only way to reduce poverty in every home and appealed to parents and guardians to provide the basic needs of their wards to facilitate their education.

The CEO said he had built a Community Centre and church buildings free of charge for Gomoa Brofo and the Musama Disco Christo Church to honour his late father, Kwesi Asmah, for educating him.**