The Government has been urged to formulate policies and set up a fund for persons below the age of 18 to serve as seed money for their adult life.
The call was made by Mr Nana Ntow, the convener of the Pay the Ghanaian Child Now, a campaign by the Human Rights Ambassadors, a non-governmental organisation, at a press conference in Accra over the weekend.
The press conference was organised by the NGO to commemorate the World Children’s Day.
The Word Children’s Day is celebrated on the 20th of November each year to promote international togetherness and awareness among children as well as to improve their welfare.
Speaking at the press conference, Mr Ntow noted that the government should commit GH¢50 to a specialised fund for children known as the children’s fund as it would go a long way to ease the societal and economic pressures of their adulthood.
According to him, this was going to be possible if the government could commit “50 pesewas from the monies collected at the toll booths and other taxes to the fund”.
He revealed that the Human Rights Ambassadors had petitioned the Speaker of Parliament on the issue and was hopeful of a response soon.
He appealed to Ghanaians and all stake holders to join the campaign to secure the future of all children as “the children are our future”.
Mr Ntow expressed worry over the government’s inability to provide sustainable roadmap to tackle child issues in the country, saying that “the three Ps; protection, participation and prevention in the constitution were dormant”.
He emphasised the need for government to ensure that the law on child protection was fully implemented to hold accountable persons who flouted the law.
He expressed worry over the increasing trend where sick children were used for adverts on television stations and in the streets to raise funds to pay their medical bills.
He described that trend as worrying and could be addressed with the creation of the children’s fund.
He also charged the Minister of Finance and economic planning, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, to include the children’s fund in the subsequent budget, saying “at least one per cent of the nation’s money could be used for the fund and it will go a long way to help the children”.
“The policy would ensure there are no street children as there was nothing like street children in our part of the world,” he added.
BY JESSEL LARTEY THERSON-COFIE
