Miniter advises staff of Department

Sunyani March 12 GNA - Nana Kwadwo Seinti, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister on Friday urged the Department of Social Welfare to place premium on the welfare of children, "who are the future leaders of the country." He said at a durbar of staff of the Department from all the 13 districts in the region in Sunyani that children being trafficked even with the involvement of their parents needed to be rescued in the interest of the country.

The durbar was aimed at re-organising a regional welfare club, to review past activities and to afford the staff the opportunity to get acquainted with each other.

"In reviewing your programme of activities, do not lose sight of the future leaders of the country, who are the children and the youth," Nana Seinti said in an address read for him by Mr. Francis O. Boateng, Regional Co-ordinating Director.

The Regional Minister asked the staff to also focus attention on the abuse of both men and women, saying they must not rescue women at the expense of men "since it takes men and women to build the nation". He advised the staff to work assiduously and diligently in the performance of their duties and must be responsible for their actions and inactions.

Nana Seinti asked the staff not to lose sight of the contribution of each member of staff, seniors and juniors, including labourers and watchmen for the successful execution of programmes and activities, Nana Seinti added.

He advised them to be guided by discipline, tolerance and honesty so they could effectively impart such principles to their subordinates. In a welcoming address, Ms Anna Darling Owusu-Antwi, Regional Director, explained that the Department worked through three core programmes of child right and protection, community care and justice administration.

Under child right is the supervision of day care centres, children homes and private vocational schools, non-maintenance of children, family reconciliation, paternity child custody and child survival development.

She said the Community Care "takes care of registration of non-governmental ogranizations, hospital welfare and the vocational training center, which supervises both the able and disabled and the street child".

Ms Owusu-Antwi said the justice administration took care of the court system, cases emanating from the court including juvenile delinquents and adoption at the remand home.

She recalled the deplorable state of the Department in the past and commended the Regional Coordinating Council, National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), Kristo Asafo church, Community Development, the Municipal and District Assemblies for their continued assistance.