Parliament debates child prostitution

Page 16, June 18, 2008
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE increasing incidence of child prostitution in the country yesterday attracted the attention of Parliament during which some Members of Parliament (MPs) called for the enforcement of provisions in the Children’s Act (Act 560) to stop the practice.
The MPs were contributing to a statement made on the floor of the House by the MP for Ablekuma South, Ms Theresa Ameley Tagoe, on child prostitution in Ghana.
Her statement was informed by a recent visit by the Parliamentary Caucus on Population, of which she is the chairperson, to “Soldier Bar”, a popular spot at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, which is notorious for providing brothel services.
In her statement, Ms Tagoe said it was reported that Accra alone could boast 125 brothels, where young girls were forced into prostitution.
She said a tour of the “Soldier Bar” revealed that the place had 12 cubicles without windows with children between the ages of 12 and 16 as its patrons.
Ms Tagoe, therefore, wondered why the Accra Metropolitan Assembly had not complied with its decision to demolish the bar to put a stop to such nefarious activities.
She also attributed parental irresponsibility in the upbringing and development of their children as major causes of child prostitution.
Ms Tagoe also called for a ban on the showing of pornographic pictures both on the screens and in newspapers, adding that such pictures tended to encourage the youth to go into prostitution.
She suggested that stakeholders such as the Ghana AIDS Commission; Ministries of Health, Women and Children’s Affairs; Education, Science and Sports; and the Ghana Police Service should play their respective roles to ensure that the practice was nipped in the bud to save the country’s future generation.
Contributing to the statement, the MP for Cape Coast, Ms Christine Churcher, asked parents to know the worth of children and provide them with the necessary care to enable them to be useful citizens in future.
Other MPs who contributed to the statement were Mrs Agnes Chigabatia (Builsa North) and Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, the MP for Wa West.