The youth in the East Akyem District in the Eastern Region has appealed to the District Assembly to enact by-laws to deal with parents, who neglect their responsibilities towards their children.
According to the youth, due to parental neglect, most young adolescents had become involved in multiple sexual relationships at early age, resulting in unwanted pregnancies, drug abuse and other vices posing problems for the society.
The appeal was made on Friday at the launching of the National Youth Mock Assembly in the district, jointly organized by the African Youth Alliance (AYA) and the National Youth Council (NYC) at Kyebi, to highlight issues of Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health (ASRH).
In a sessional address by the youth to the mock District Chief Executive (DCE), they said the unconcerned and irresponsible behaviour of some parents towards their children called for immediate measures to deal with the situation, adding, "some parents do not see childcare as a necessary complement to childbearing".
They mentioned lack of parental care, ignorance of ASRH, lack of youth recreational centres and youth friendly facilities, as some of the problems affecting the adolescents in the district and stressed the need for the Assembly to address them to ensure that, the youth stayed focused for the future.
The National Manager of AYA, Paa Kwesi Evans-Inkoom, who launched the programme said, the mock assembly process was an intervention activity to further improve adolescent issues in the society to ensure the total success of the various strategies already being used.
He explained that it was also meant to sharpen the intellectual horizon of the youth to go beyond what was being taught in the classroom to issues affecting them and the society in general.
Mr Evans-Inkoom said the participants in the mock assembly were expected to play an advocacy role to influence their peers in the community on their reproductive health issues.
The East Akyem District Co-ordinator of the NYC, Mr George Amuzu hoped that, the attention of policy-makers would be attracted to the wisdom in the "little noises" of the youth and be moved to initiate actions for the desirable ASRH policy environment for the benefit of the youth.
The DCE of East Akyem, Mr Emmanuel Victor Asihene commended the AYA and NYC for their initiative and observed that the impressive performance of the youth in role-playing policy makers would influence them to take up leadership positions to become role models of their time.
He assured the mock assembly that all issues raised would be addressed appropriately.