The Paramount Chief of Upper Dixcove in the Western, Obrempong Hima Dekyi, has expressed concern over the increasing rate of teenage pregnancy in the area.
He has, therefore, called for concerted efforts by the traditional leaders and other stakeholders to help curb the situation.
“Our girls have all become teenage mothers. If you look at the teenage pregnancy rates in the region, Ahanta West had been on the lead for four good years. Are we happy about this result? Where lies the future for these young ones? he quizzed.
Obrempong Hima Dekyi stated this at a meeting of traditional leaders of Ahanta at Busua in the region.
The meeting was in honour of the Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, who was in the area for a day’s visit.
The chief blamed some of his colleagues for the problem because they have allegedly refused to invest in the education of the youth but rather prefer to use their resources on litigations.
“Our youth have become drug addicts. If there is any kind of development, let us invest in the education of our youth because without education we are lost.
The money we are spending on litigations in court could be used to educate our children. So we are the cause of the mess,” he added.
He continued, “Don’t let us behave like ostriches. We have sold our lands indiscriminately and now we have become beggars in our own back yard.
The chief enumerated some challenges confronting the people, which include the deplorable roads in the municipality.
Mr. Okyere Darko-Mensah urged the chiefs and residents to support the government’s flagship programmes like ‘planting for food and jobs’, ‘one district one factory’ and ‘planting for export and rural development’, among others.
The former Deputy Aviation Minister told the chiefs that plans were afoot to build an international airport in the Ahanta West Municipality, which would help boost the local economy.
He, however, expressed dissatisfaction about the poor sanitation situation in the municipality and appealed to the chiefs to collaborate with assembly to improve the situation.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Busua