Regional News of Sunday, 5 January 2014

Source: GNA

Minister advises parents to prioritize girl-child education

Mrs Rachel Adjoah Apoh opoku, Deputy Minister of Gender Children and Social Protection, has exhorted mothers to eschew negative tendencies that will induce fathers to abandon their social responsibilities towards the education of the girl-child.

She said it is incumbent on women to show the needed respect, love and humility to their husbands so that they would not neglect their parental care.

Mrs Appoh, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Gomoa Central, expressed these sentiments when she addressed a durbar of the chiefs and people of Gomoa Jukwa-Idankrom to climax their Annual Akwambo Festival.

She said majority of fathers have stopped giving proper parental care to their children, especially the girl-child, after the breakdown of marriages.

The MP said good parental care from fathers would help reduce mass school drop-outs among girls in the Gomoa Central, East and West constituencies.

She urged fathers to help push their daughters to pursue further studies, adding that” in future we want more women to emerge as Deputy Ministers and even Vice Presidents from the Gomoa Central constituency.

The Deputy Minister cautioned people about the indiscriminate dumping of refuse which could lead to the outbreak of communicable diseases.

Mrs Appoh warned the youth to desist from acts of disrespect and violent behavior towards chiefs and elders in their various communities to promote peace and unity.

The MP later donated a set of jersey and football to the youth at Jukwa-Idankrom as part of her efforts to promote sporting activities in the town.

Mr Isaac Kingsley Ahunu-Armah, Gomoa East District Chief Executive (DCE), regretted about the high incidence of teenage pregnancy cases in the district.

He appealed to chiefs and opinion leaders in the area to enact bye-laws that would reduce the problem, adding that if steps are not taken, the girl- child education would suffer serious setbacks in the district.

The DCE advised people in the district to desist from politics of intolerance which impede socio-economic advancement of the area.

According to Mr Ahunu-Armah, the 2012 election petition has come and gone, saying that all hands must be on deck, to support activities of the government to reduce unemployment, and other economic hardships.

Mr Kweku Aggrey, Chairman of the Gomoa Jukwa-Idankrom Akwambo planning Implementation Committee, commended the Gomoa East District Assembly and the MP for Gomoa Central, for assisting them to complete their public place of convenience.

He appealed to the MP and DCE to help rehabilitate street lights which had gone off for over four years now.