Alleged trafficked children were going on vacation – Ada West DCE

The West Ada District Chief Executive has clarified that a group of school children intercepted by security agencies in the Volta Region were travelling to spend their vacation with their parents. According to him, earlier reports that the children were victims of child trafficking were not factual.

The children lived with their extended family relations in the West and East Ada Districts and Ningo-Prampram Municipality to attend school and, according to Mills Nkrumah Modjifa Tanihu, the West Ada District Chief Executive (DCE), many of the children’s parents work in fishing and farming communities along the Volta Lake, including Kete-Krachi, Dambai, Battorkope, Adakope, Tukranu, Tokpo and Mataheko.

Mr. Tanihu told newsmen that the children left their various communities on Friday after vacation to reunite with their parents “and it has been their usual practice.”

However, the vehicle carrying the children was intercepted after a passenger allegedly reported to security agencies that the children were being trafficked to the Afram Plains to engage in hazardous labour.

Acknowledging that child trafficking remains a heinous criminal offence in Ghana and especially with the three areas—West and East Ada Districts and Ningo-Prampram Municipality—being a major picking up points, the DCE maintained that preliminary information available indicated that the children were travelling to join their parents for the holidays, but not for exploitative labour.

“I personally intervened and assured investigators that should their investigations prove my account to be false, I would accept responsibility for my actions,” Mr. Tanihu said.

Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the movement of the children are ongoing to establish the facts and determine whether any offences under Ghana’s anti-human trafficking laws were committed.

Meanwhile, Mr. Tanihu commended the Volta Regional Police Command, the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, the Department of Social Welfare and the Office of the Attorney-General for what he described as their professionalism throughout the investigations.

“The officers conducted thorough investigations, educated all parties on the laws governing child trafficking and ensured that the children were provided with safe accommodation and proper care while investigations continued,” he said.

He, again, praised Volta Regional Minister James Gunu for supporting the affected families and facilitating interventions that ensured the welfare of the children.

He further expressed appreciation to Members of Parliament, District Chief Executives and other stakeholders from the affected districts for their collaboration during the incident.

 

 

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