Mr. Hamidu Harruna, Upper West Regional (UWR) Director of Department of Social Welfare, has expressed concern about child abuse in the Region.
He cited that the Regional Multi-Sectoral Committee on Child Welfare and Protection has alleged that children in the area were
being trafficked to neighbouring Burkina Faso for rituals at shrines.
Mr. Harruna, who was speaking at a meeting of the Committee in Wa on Monday, said the practice was disrupting the education of children
and immunisation against childhood killer diseases.
He said children sent to the shrines returned home with new names and no longer respond to their original names for fear that they would die if they maintain their original names.
The Social Worker said money meant for communities in the Wa West District under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty Programme
was returned to government chest.
Mr Harruna explained that officials of the Department of Social Welfare could not disburse the money to prospective beneficiary households because members refused to respond to their original names as recorded in documents.
This was because they had been given new names at the shrine and, therefore, could not show up for their share of the money.
He called for reformation of traditional practices and beliefs to ensure the development of the Region.
Mr. Israel Akrobutu, Acting Regional Director of the Department of Children, expressed worry that some children in the Region had
abandoned the classroom and were engaging in illegal mining.
He said that some illegal mining communities had no schools to cater for the large numbers of children.
Mr. Abrobutu appealed to government to include private pre-schools in its educational interventions.
He asked the district assemblies in the Region to construct kindergartens at all schools.
Mr. Abrobutu called on the authorities to take steps to stop elopement of young girls, street begging and trading among children in
the Region.
Mr. Abrobutu suggested that all vulnerable children, registered with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), should be exempted
form NHIS cards renewal fees.