The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection(MOGCSP) has called on traditional authorities to join the fight against human trafficking in the country.

The call was made by the Chief Director of the MOGCSP, Dr Afisah Zakariah at the observation of the world day against trafficking in persons(Blue Day) at Koforidua in the Eastern Region.

She said poverty was no excuse to look on for any form of human trafficking to thrive in the communities.

The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Eric Kwakye Darfour, said human trafficking occurred in different forms in the communities and appealed to traditional authorities to join the fight against the menace.

Mr Darfour urged the traditional authorities to help educate young people against rushing out to chase false employment opportunities outside the country which end up in they being sold into slavery.

Ms Abena Anobea Asare, the Head of the Human Trafficking Department of MOGCSP, appealed to traditional authorities to expose people who engaged in human trafficking in their communities and help protect victims of human trafficking.

She said her unit had organized a training programme on human trafficking for security agents and journalists in the country to help raise their capacity to combat human trafficking.

Nana Ayimedu, the Krontihene of Adjena in the Eastern Region, said though the government had made the travelling to the Gulf States where many Ghanaians are lured and trafficked into slavery, many young people in Ghana travel to neighbouring countries to avoid the check and travel to the Gulf States where they end up into slavery.

He called on parents to pay attention to what their children watch on their phones during this coronavirus era.

Nana Ayimedu appealed to traditional authorities to provide land to the youth to go into commercial farming to encourage them to stay in the country.

He appealed to MOGCSP to establish a coalition of chiefs against human trafficking to support the efforts of the ministry against human trafficking.

Awo Yaa Otwiwaa, Ohemaa of Agyemanti in the Eastern Region, called on parents to provide the basic needs of their daughters to help reduce the temptations that make young ladies to depend on men, which lead to teenage pregnancies and other temptations that lead them into human trafficking.