Kenneth Kelly Essuman
Mr. Kenneth Kelly Essuman, Mfantseman Municipal Chief Executive, (MCE) has urged chiefs, elders and opinion leaders to desist from settling defilement cases and other forms of abuses in their various homes.
He said his outfit would not hesitate to ensure that people who indulged in such cruel practices were arrested and prosecuted in the interest of the children and to deter others.
Mr. Kelly Essuman, made the call while addressing a dedication and inauguration ceremony of a new school complex block for Rev. Wilson ‘B’ Methodist School at Saltpond.
The Methodist Primary “B” school was established in 1951 by the Methodist Church, Ghana, Saltpond Wesley Society, which was running shift with the Primary “A” at Appiakwaa, a community in the Saltpond township.
He commended the then General Superintendent Minister of the Methodist Church, Saltpond, Very Rev. Joseph Wilson for converting his warehouse for use as classrooms for the “B” stream to address the stress the children go through.
The MCE said, another threat to the girl-child’s development in the municipality, was camping of students in classrooms ahead of examinations, where both males and females sleep in the same rooms.
“The Mfantseman Municipal Assembly has also banned such camping and all teachers in the municipality are strictly charged to take note and comply with the directives forthwith.
“I am very disturbed that, despite interventions that are in place to safeguard the well-being of the children, especially the girls, some dissidents continue to maltreat them to suffer all forms of abuses, which is very sad,” the MCE said.
Mr Essuman underscored the need of stakeholders in the grooming of the children to partner the Assembly to create safe and conducive environment and also to give them equal opportunities to become good future knowledgeable leaders in the country.
“Let us be the keepers of the children, especially the girl child, by exposing people who abuse their rights in the community to the assembly and other authorised State Institutions such as the Department of Social Welfare, and the Ghana Police Service to take action against them in regard to laws and conventions that protect them.
He later donated five computers and a printer to the authorities of the school.
GNA