Accra, Sept. 9, GNA - The Ghana Baptist Convention has urged politicians to include Trokosi and other social problems in campaign messages instead of promises which are usually not fulfilled. The convention believes that the issue of Trokosi and other social issues such as female genital mutilation (FGM) should be included in campaign messages of politicians in order to further deepen the awareness creation which will benefit society more.

Speaking to GNA on Tuesday, Mr Jervis Djokoto, Director of Baptist Relief and Development Agency (BREDA), said politicians must be more proactive in making sure Trokosi was halted saying it was important that they educated the public through their campaign messages about the negative effects of such practices in enhancing development. Trokosi, which is an old cultural practice, found in the south-eastern Volta Region and parts of the Dangme areas of the Greater Accra Region, is a practice where mostly girls are sent to shrines to atone for the crimes of their relatives.

The Ghana Baptist Convention in collaboration with the Danish Mission Council Development Department (DMCDD), according to BREDA, had played pioneering role in the campaign against the practice. BREDA since its formation has been actively involved in many projects such as HIV/AIDS prevention and management, provision of educational centres in deprived areas and women empowerment, all geared towards bringing relief and development to vulnerable groups. BREDA said the government responded to their campaign against the Trokosi practice. In June 1998, government passed a law proscribing the practice resulting in the release of scored of slaves.

However, despite the passage of the law banning the practice, it was still in existence due to ineffective enforcement and the prohibitive cost of liberating slaves at an average of 5,000 per shrine. The Rev Stephen Asante, President of the Ghana Baptist Convention, also a board member of BREDA, in his submission said that through the intervention of DMCDD, 47 young girls had been freed. He added that, 21 of them were undergoing vocational training at the Baptist Vocational Training Centre at Frankadua in the Eastern Region, which was set up by the Baptist Union of Denmark. Rev. Asante noted some of the challenges faced by the vocational centre were funds to cater for the well being of the young girls and inadequate teaching and learning materials. He appealed to government institutions and other bodies for support.

Dr Christina Amoako-Nuamah, Board Chairman of BREDA, urged various institutions such as Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice, religious bodies, Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs and political parties to help create the awareness of the dangers of Trokosi.