Incest on the increase in Awutu Senya East Municipality
Mr Samuel Bortey, Awutu Senya East Municipal (ASEMA) Director of Education, has said, their biggest challenge in the Municipality is fathers sleeping with their own daughters.
He said in some cases, heads of the houses also sleep with their house helps.
Mr Bortey who disclosed this at a social audit programme in Kasoa in the Central Region, said some men also play with children’s private parts in their cars.
According to him, sometimes when girls in this situation report to their mothers, for fear of stigmatization, they only shout on them to keep quiet or threaten to punish them.
He said all those negative attitudes are affecting children’s performance in schools and called on stakeholders, including Assembly men and religious bodies to intervene.
The programme which was organised by the ASEMA and the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) to create awareness on the need for citizens to demand accountability from their leaders.
The national programme is being sponsored by the European Union.
On the forthcoming BECE and WASCE, Mr Bortey said Odupong Senior High School would be writing for the first time and all preparations are advanced to ensure a successful examination.
He said the Directorate had put in measures to ensure that students perform creditably.
The Municipal Director said for the first time, the students are writing three mock examinations to eliminate fears among them.
Mr Bortey, therefore expressed his gratitude to ASEMA for its continuous support for the education sector in the Municipality.
Mrs Mary N. Ankrah, the Municipal Director of NCCE, said the programme was to educate the nation as a whole to identify things that were affecting the citizenry, especially in the area of education, health, road and sanitation.
She said citizens have the responsibility to assist the Assemblies and duty bearers to achieve their developmental goals.
“For example, we all have a duty to support our Assemblies to keep our environment clean,” she said, and called for attitudinal change towards sanitation to improve the health of the people.
Participants called on religious bodies to assist in educating the public through the pulpit on sanitation issues and benefits.
They also urged the Assembly and all stakeholders in education to reintroduce Girls’ Camping for school children to serve as a platform to educate them on their rights to curb abuses.
Source: GNA