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25.02.2016 Social News

Zabzugu District grapples with child trafficking

By GNA
Zabzugu District grapples with child trafficking
25.02.2016 LISTEN

Zabzugu (N/R), Feb. 25, GNA - Mr Issifu Alidu Laa-Bandow, Zabzugu District Chief Executive (DCE), has expressed concern about child trafficking in the area.

Addressing the First General Assembly Meeting of the Sixth Assembly at Zabzugu in Northern Region, he noted that about three weeks ago, more than 15 children were rescued by security agencies in Togo from traffickers, who intended to take them to Nigeria.

He said the sad aspect of the problem is that majority of the children are girls and some as young as nine years.

The DCE said the children have since been re-integrated with their families but the security agencies would make follow up visits periodically to ensure that they are not trafficked again.

He said the issue should not be left with the security personnel alone, but should include parents, who give out their children to such unscrupulous people who engage them as slaves.

'As members of this assembly, I want to appeal to you to keep your ears and eyes on the ground and help us to arrest any person who attempts to sell off his/her child in our communities.

'You must be watchful about the child trafficking contractors, who enter our communities to lure these children and their parents into this dangerous situation.

'The future of our children lies in the security and protection we give them today. This is the responsibility of all of us and we must live up to it,' he said.

Mr Laa-Bandow congratulated Zabzugu Watchdog Community in helping Ghana Police Service to keep security in the district capital and encouraged all members to endeavour to establish similar groups in their communities

He announced plans to establish a police post at Nakpali as a measure to improve security in the Kworli area, adding: ' I am glad to inform you that procurement processes are being completed on that and hopefully, in March, work will begin on this project.'

Mr Laa-Bandow said efforts are being made for the completion of two CHPS Compounds at Mognegu, and Kpaligigbini.

He said a few years ago, maternal mortality rate in the district was very discouraging, citing 2014 alone, when six women lost their lives.

'Last year, we recorded only one death and this year we have not recorded any. I believe this trend is as a result of the intensive education being done by the Health Directorate and with the help of some of our development partners, especially the UNFPA.'

The assembly had vetted six applications from students in midwifery training schools for support, in order to secure their services after graduation.

'This has become necessary due to the very low number of midwives in the district, which currently stands at four,' the DCE disclosed.

Mr Laa-Bandow said the major sanitation challenge in the district is open defecation, which cannot be dealt with unless community leaders take special interest in the issue.

He said there are a number of behavior change sensitisation programmes going on under the auspices of the assembly and its partners.

He observed that the change in the rainfall pattern has negatively affected the agriculture sector, which employs about 70 per cent of the people and 'this is the time we have to realise that climate change is a reality and we must stop all negative activities that are giving rise to this phenomenon'.

'Illegal logging and destruction of trees coupled with other activities such as bush burning are the cause of the changes we are experiencing in our rainfall pattern.

'We cannot continue to pretend that we do not know. Let us all commit ourselves to stopping these practices first at the personal level and collectively as a people.

'The reality is that, if we do not stop these negative human activities on the environment, we may all perish for lack of food and water,' he warned.

Mr Laa-Bandow expressed happiness that in 2015, the assembly exceeded its revenue target by more than 20 per cent and congratulated the Revenue Unit and Finance Department for the achievement.

He said: 'Of course, some of our honourable members have also supported the revenue staff in their communities to raise revenue and we are grateful to them.

'I want to urge you all as assembly members to be committed in supporting the revenue generation efforts of the assembly. This is the only way by, which the assembly can support in the execution of community project requests.

'It is sad to note that there are some people in our communities who incite community members against revenue collectors and even go beyond that to assault collectors.

'I don't think we can make our district any better with this attitude. The challenge is now for… members to get our people understand the importance of revenue generation in the development of the district.

He said on February 17, the assembly's Executive Committee approved the construction of a children's ward at Zabzugu District Hospital.

GNA

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