Child law needs to be enforced - Akanpabadai

Tamale, June 23, GNA - Mr Timothy A. Akanpabadai, the Regional Operations Manager of World Vision Ghana, has called on government to enforce child rights laws to protect children from abuse.

He said there is the need for government to put in place policies to address child rights abuses in the country.

Mr Akanpabadai made the call during the celebration of the Day of the Africa Child held in Tamale.

The event was to commemorate the 1976 massacre of Soweto children, who merely took to the streets to demand their right to racism free education, in the then apartheid South Africa.

It was also to strengthen national child protection systems and also to create an environment where families have the economic opportunities to ensure children's protection, education and health.

The event was held under the theme: 'Accelerating protection, empowerment and equal opportunities for all children in Ghana by 2030'.

Mr Akanpabadai said parents and other stakeholders need to support government to improve the lives of children by assisting them to realize their basic human rights such as survival right, development right and protection right.

He urged stakeholders, NGOs to partner with the government to improve on the quality of life of the vulnerable groups, by strengthening local structures to take local level actions to promote and ensure fairness and protection of children from abuse.

Mr George Baiden, the Country Director of Christian Children's Fund of Canada (CCFC), said there is need for government and law makers to ensure that children are empowered through education to become good leaders.

This, he said, would help address poverty, HIV/AIDS adding that, 'Government will need to provide the economic foundation, which will help to poverty, provide infrastructure to ensure that efforts made are effective'.

Alhaji Abdul Razak Sani, the Northern Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) called on Ghanaians to collaborate with the government to promote the rights of the child policy to protect children against all forms of abuses such as physical, emotional and sexual in the country.

The event was organised by UNICEF with the support from World vision, ActionAid, CCFC, Camfed, Right to play, Plan Ghana, RAINS and Department of Children.

GNA

By Comfort Sena Fetrie/Mbugri Rashid, GNA