The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy Ohanenye, announced on Monday, June 10, that parents of girls trafficked to Ghana will face legal action.
She stressed that simply rescuing and rehabilitating the girls is not enough to solve the problem.
During her visit to the Ghanaian Embassy and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons in Abuja, the minister declared that those involved in trafficking, including parents, will be prosecuted.
“For allowing your child who is a minor to be trafficked, you must answer to the law. In this case, we are talking about girls between the ages of 15-17 years of age; they are just kids who should be under the control of their parents. This is heartbreaking,” Ohanenye said.
She also stated that the government will prosecute transporters involved in moving these girls, whether by air, sea, or road.
“The government will equally persecute transporters involved in moving these girls from one place to the other. Be it air travel, sea travel, road transporters, they will all be persecuted, and no stone will be left unturned because the government will come hard on them,” she added.
The minister noted that the government is addressing the issue from the root. She emphasized that parents cannot simply relax after their children are returned. Any parent involved will face the law.
Director General of NAPTIP, Prof. Fatima Waziri Aziz, expressed full support for the minister’s stance. She affirmed that prosecuting the parents is crucial to stopping trafficking.
“We are working closely with the Minister of Women Affairs to tackle the issue from the root. Prosecuting the parents of the trafficked girls is the only way this trafficking issue can stop,” Waziri Aziz said.
