African governments urged to champion rights of children

The Ghana National Coordinator for Global Movement of Pan-African Women Leaders (PAWL), Mrs Lamisi Adene Kumordzie, has underscored need for African countries to prioritise and champion rights of children to empower them for a greater future and propel accelerated development.

According to her, the future hinged on the ability of children to harness the potentials of the contemporary technology and knowledge to address societal problems and stressed that creating an enabling environment for children to thrive and realise their potentials was the way to go.

“We often leave the children because we think that they do not know much, but if we put two or three children together, the kind of ideas they will bring on board will marvel us, so, we must give them the right to speak and voice out,” she said.

Mrs Kumordzie was addressing stakeholders and students during the commemoration of this year’s International Day of the African Child Conference, organised by the Global Movement of Pan-African Women Leaders, held at Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region.

It was held on the theme, “Educate an African child, fit for the 21st century”.

Apart from ensuring that every African child was educated, Mrs Kumordzie indicated that children had huge talents and there was the need for stakeholders to prioritise the health and wellbeing of children, emphasising on access to nutrition, fundamental rights, and the right environment for children to realise their unearthed potentials.

“Let us celebrate the power and the community of unity and together we can create an environment where every child can dream, inspire, and achieve their full potentials.

The Chief Director of the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council, Alhaji Inusah Abubakar who was the guest of honour, bemoaned that after several years of being the first country in African to ratify the United Nations Convention of Rights of the Child, many  children in Ghana were still faced with lots of challenges.

He said poverty, conflict, diseases, illegal mining, and child labour among others continued to deny children the opportunity to be educated and exercise their rights and stressed that there was the need for policy direction and renewed commitment from relevant institutions and stakeholders to address the challenges to build a better future.

“On this day of the African child we need to advocate for policies and initiatives that support and promote children’s welfare and development. This calls for concerted efforts which must be guided by shared vision where every child can inspire and achieve their fullest potentials.

“Government and civil society organisations will have to continuously work in a coordinated and sustained manner to gain international cooperation and solidarity,” he added.

Headmistress of Bolgatanga Girls Senior High School (BOGISS), Mrs Patricia Anaba, noted that children were future of all nations and reiterated a collective sense of responsibility to nurture, protect and empower them to thrive to succeed in the contemporary world.

“It is our duty to break down the barriers that stand in the way of children, whether it is economic, social, or cultural and to foster a community that uplifts and supports every African child,” she added.

Naba Baba Salifu Atamale Lemyaarum, Paramount Chief of Bongo Traditional Area, said it was imperative for stakeholders in education to recognise the potentials of children and work to support them to achieve the needed development.