Dangerous Than COVID-19

Is quite a bit late, but is better late than not, and I keep on asking my self, what constitutes a Ghanaian culture?, are some cultural practices un-Ghanaian....? just asking few, but is very annoying to hear the recent revelations from the Upper West regional Girl's Education officer of GES that, over two decades, no girl child has ever completed Sowoubea JHS in the Wa East district.

The officer went further to point out that, the highest educational level of every girl child in that district is to get to JHS 2, before being sent off to marry.

Another shocking revelation is that, in just 9 months, the upper West region has recorded 390 teenage pregnancies, quite a worrying situation.

As I don't want to exhibit my ignorance on child right in the constitution, I think the Ministry of Gender, children and social protection can do better with the released uninspired statistics, which is not romantic enough and placed Sawoubea JHS in a different perspective.

Since when did the society accepted this; that, it is normal Ghanaian practice, more or less a culture for grown men to have sex with 12,13,14,15 and 16-year-old girls....since when??

There is a saying that goes, "we making unnecessary noise, produce heat, but talking to each other will definitely produce light", with this, I have now realised that some of our opinion leaders and attention seekers make noise, just to pollute and produce unnecessary heat in the system.

It is quite unfortunate that this issue will never occupy the front pages of our national newspapers and I always ask my self...what kind of journalism are we practicing in this country?

Since when did the exhibition of cerebral limitations, where the sense of critical thinking has lost it pivot became a norm in our media landscape..?

These self-claimed opinion leaders were so loud in telling us what was un-Ghanaian and should therefore not be tolerated in schools, but forgetting that, one of their own is been taking away from the classroom all in the name of marriage. And I ask them, is this tolerable and Ghanaian?

The dog will never rest, until the girl child sees the light, taste the sweetness in JHS and BECE. But I keep on asking my self, where are our human rights activists who made noise and succeeded in polluting the air during the time of CSE and sex for grade..?

The self-acclaimed social analysts, where are they..? Is it about hypocrisy or lack of understanding of the situation ...? Maybe, they have lost their research materials or have no lense to read further..?

To my Covid-19 campaigners, this is also the right time to fight for these innocent souls.

This aspect of our culture should be treated as Covid-19.

That girl child can be your daughter or a sibling. We stand a chance to fight for them. They need us now than ever.

They have to smile again, and again. Be part of this process.

Thank you.

Adjei Boakye

(Student Activist)

(ED- Captains Connekt)

Captains Connekt foundation.

Email: [email protected].

All social media handles captains Connekt.