Traditional authorities in Awate in the North Dayi District of the Volta Region have decreed to severely punish parents or guardians of children who would be seen loitering after 8pm.

The decree is included in a set of by-laws being enforced to enhance academic performance and curb teenage pregnancy in the fishing and farming community.

According to the by-laws, parents of children seen in town after 8pm will be fined GhC20.00, while that of teenagers who get pregnant will be

summoned before a traditional tribunal and penalised accordingly. The males who are responsible for the pregnancies and their parents will be equally punished.

“It has become imperative to enforce these by-laws to safeguard the future of our children” said the Awate Paramount Chief, Togbega Noagbesenu at a presentation of a set of parade bands to the Awate Todzi Local Authority Basic School.

He added that “performance of our children have not been encouraging of late, so we resolved to enact these bylaws to outwit contributing factors to the poor performances.”

Togbega Noagbesenu, however, advised parents to comply with the bylaws and ensure educational needs of their children are met, to complement efforts by traditional authorities to enhance academic performance.

He lauded natives contributing to the development of the Awate community and urged them “to continue to invest in the wellbeing of people to attract abundance of blessings.”

He was grateful to Mr and Mrs Prosper Denutsui for the parade bands and hopeful it would enhance the study of creative arts in the school.

Mr Prosper Denutsui indicated the kind gesture was his contribution to providing a platform for the young ones to exploit their talents.

He also urged parents to support children who will opt to learn how to play the instruments since “it gives them the opportunity to get enlisted into security services in the future”, he added.

Mr Denutsui who is also the Proprietor of PRO-MAY Abundance Grace Preparatory School, advised the children to eschew from social vices and be committed to their studies for a better future.

The parade band is made of 3 side drums, a a tenor drum, a bass drum, a cornets, 7 trumpets and 2 trombones.