Regional News of Tuesday, 2 December 2014

Source: GNA

Chiefs and Gomoa Assembly fight teenage pregnancy

The Gomoa Akyempim Traditional Council, in collaboration with the Gomoa West District Assembly, has enacted bye-laws to punish men who impregnate school girls.

This has become necessary due to alarming rate of pregnancy cases involving school girls in the District.

Nana Akurogo Amegyir II, Asihene of Adonten Division of the Akyempim Traditional Council, made this known at a durbar of chiefs and people of Gomoa Akwakrom to climax their Annual Akwambo Festival on Saturday.

Nana Akurogo Amegyir, who is also Tufuhene of Akwakrom, said the bye-laws were made to the protect girl-child and also reduce pregnancy among school girls in the Gomoa West District.

He said the Traditional Council had set up a taskforce to monitor and report impregnated school girl cases to the Council.

According to the Nana Akurogo Amegyir, the Council would not hesitate to hand offenders to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service to face the full vigorous of the law.

He said the Traditional Council would also punish parents whose daughters would be impregnated due to improper parental care.

He said girl-child education in the District was not encouraging and appealed to the parents to invest in their children’s education.

Nana Akurogo Amegyir mentioned bad road networks as the major challenge facing the Gomoa West District.

He appealed to the government to release funds to contractors to complete road started to facilitate movement of goods and passengers.

He called on the residents of Gomoa Akwakrom residing outside the town to come home and assist the development of the town.

He the chiefs had imposed development levy on the residents at home and abroad to help the construction of a durbar ground but did not mention the amount.

He said government alone cannot develop the area, therefore the need for people to contribute.