Mr Baba Jamal, Deputy Eastern Regional Minister has advised children not to allow elderly people to exploit them in the name of respect
He said most often, child abuse cases, including rape and defilement reported were through the obedience of the victims who had been asked by the perpetrators to run an errand for them.
The Deputy Minister said this, in a keynote address delivered at the Regional celebration of the World Day against child labour held at Jackson's Park at Koforidua on Friday.
He said all forms of protection of the child must include an intensive education to erase fear from the minds of children, especially girls who, when defiled were warned by the perpetrators not to reveal the act
or die.
Mr Baba Jamal urgeG parents to step up their roles and take opportunity of the free basic education to educate their children other than the practice of giving them out as house helps which deprives them of their education.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government to the elimination of all forms of abuse, including child labour as enshrined in the manifesto of the party for the progress of all children in the country.
Mr. Antwi-Boasiako Sekyere, Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Welfare in a speech read on his behalf indicated that, sustainable efforts by the district assemblies and the utilization of community structures had the potency to eliminate all forms of child labour.
He therefore urged all district assemblies to mainstream community action plans on child labour into medium term development plans and also approve rules and regulations agreed by the communities as bye-laws to empower child protection committees and the traditional authorities.
According to the Minister, although reports made through research had counteracted reports that children were being used on cocoa plantation, the fact still remained that about eight per cent of children in such areas were not going to school and that called for more actions to address.
Nana Owusu Kesse the chief of Jumapo, who chaired the function, urge parents not to rely on SSNIT benefits and relegate the education of their children to the background because when their children are well educated, they could supplement whatever they received.
He said street begging and other exploitative acts of children had become rampant that the future of most children, especially their education was threatened and advised parents to be interested in their children's welfare.