Communities urged to enforce the rights of children-CHRAJ

Forikrom (B/A) May 20, GNA - Miss Joyce Nyamadie, Nkoranza district director of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), has called on communities to help enforce the rights of children.

She explained that enforcing the rights of children should not be the responsibility of parents alone since the elements of human rights are universal.

"Human rights begin with the provision of breakfast and the right of freedom of speech and expression would be meaningless if one lacks the right to good health", the district CHRAJ director added.

Miss Nyamadie was speaking at a one-day forum at Forikrom, near Techiman, organised by the Techiman district office of the Commission and sponsored by the Government Accountability Improves Trust (GAIT) of the Co-operative League of the USA (CLUSA).

The forum sought to educate participants, who included traditional rulers and unit committee members, about children's rights and the Interstate Succession Law.

Miss Nyamadie advised parents to desist from giving out their female girls into early marriage to the detriment of their education and called on the public to take pride in children "who are the embodiment of our heritage".

"Education is a fundamental right of children, as well as the provision of the basic necessities of life", she said.

Mr. Kwasi Asante Boateng, Techiman Municipal Director of the Commission, who spoke on "Intestate Succession Law and Will Preparation", asked parents to consider the future of their children and prepare Wills to avoid disputes in the sharing of their properties after death.

He said about 40 per cent of cases in the municipality were intestate and land litigation and urged married couples to realise that the fundamental right of acquisition of property depended on them. The Municipal CHRAJ Director urged parents to recognise their children as vulnerable assets, who if not properly educated could be compelled to join peer groups and indulge in anti-social activities.

Mr. Solomon Mensah-Aborampah, Techiman municipal facilitator of the CLUSA of GAIT programmes, called on parents to take good care of their children and not to engage them in activities that could jeopardise their education.

The Assembly Member for Forikrom, Mr. James Kwabena Osei, expressed gratitude to the Commission for the forum, which he said would enable the people to seek redress of issues through the Commission instead of the law courts.

Nana Akumia-Sakyi, Akwamuhene of Forikrom, who presided, commended the CLUSA/GAIT for the education and called for more of such programmes to enable the people to become abreast with the provisions of the 1992 constitution. 20 May 04