General News of Sunday, 19 March 2017

Source: 3news.com

Kill mothers who throw away babies in dumpsters – Akua Donkor

Akua Donkor, founder of the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP) Akua Donkor, founder of the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP)

One of Ghana’s failed presidential aspirants, Madam Akua Donkor, has condemned women who either abandon their newly born babies or throw them away in polyethene bags and called for such women to be killed when caught.

Madam Akua Donkor who is the founder and leader of the Ghana Freedom Party told the Ghana News Agency in Accra Friday that it is a criminal offence for any woman to engage in such act.

She said an experience she had, where a baby boy was put in a polyethene bag and abandoned at a place in Akwatia in the Eastern Region, has moved her to establish a home to cater for such abandoned children who survive.

There have been several reported cases across the country of mothers abandoning their babies at various unfavourable places including dumpsters, which sometimes results in the death of the babies. There are also instances where newly born babies are dumped in cesspits by their mothers.

Reasons for such practices have not been established but it is believed the mothers who do so have either had the fathers of those babies denied responsibility or the mothers do not have the financial might to cater for the babies.

“If you are pregnant and don’t want the baby please walk to my place, give birth and leave the baby there I will take care of them,” Madam Akua Donkor told the GNA, noting she intends to establish her foster home at Adeiso in the Eastern Region.

When asked how she was going to fund the project, Madam Akua Donkor who is a farmer said she would do her best to mobilise funds on her own to commence the project.

Madam Akua Donkor who was seeking to contest the December 7, 2016, presidential election was disqualified by Ghana’s Electoral Commission together with other aspirants for failing to fulfil all the legal requirements governing the election.

The EC in disqualifying Madam Akua Donkor Monday cited a number of issues including what it says was the provision of “three different signatures of herself” as the basis.

Again the EC claimed documents submitted by Madam Akua Donkor indicated her running mate, Patricia Asante is 17 year’s old; meaning she registered as a minor.

She later threw her support for the then President, John Mahama, who contested the election on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress.