Accra (Greater Accra) Mr. Jerry Akwei Thompson, Chief Executive of the Ga District Assembly, on Wednesday expressed regret at the breakaway of the African extended family system, which has rendered many children wayward.

"The extended family system, which the European envied so much, has now been destroyed by the society and this has brought a lot of hardship on the African child."

Mr. Thompson said this when he received a certificate of appreciation from the Sports and Cultural Academy for Street Children (Street Academy) at a ceremony at Amasaman, near Accra.

The presentation was to honour him for his immense contribution to the Academy since its establishment in 1986.

The District Chief Executive blamed parents and society in general for the plight of street children and called for a restoration of "that good old relationship where each one is the other's keeper".

He assured the Academy of the district's continued support, saying "our doors are always open and we promise we will involve the Academy in all our programmes".

The founder and proprietor of the School, Atta Lartey, thanked the DCE for "always being there for the Academy", adding: "he has come to the aid of the Academy in cash and in kind when the road was very rough".