Reverend Dr Ebenezer Tetteh Akpallam, a lecturer at the Pentecost University says child rights are not foreign culture, but they are rights to offer protect ultimate protection for children, their survival, and their development. 'Child Rights sit on four principles which finds expression across all religion, Non-Discrimination, the best Interest of the Child, The Right to Life, Survival and Development and Respect for the views of the child, whiles children in return also have responsibilities to obey rules and do as expect of them.' Rev. Akpallam explained this in a presentation during an engagement with Religious and Traditional leaders and other stakeholders on Child Protection seminar in Koforidua. The paramount interest of a child's development to become an asset to society is upheld by all the religions whether Christianity, Islamic or traditional and therefore it was not appropriate to describe child rights as a foreign culture. 'The problem is about the interpretation especially using the scripture to abuse children, so, the sensitisation of guiding and teaching children without inflicting pain appears to be contrary to those interpretations.' According to Rev Dr Akpallam, the frequent use of the scripture- Proverbs 13:24 - 'spare the rod and spoil the child', had been wrongly interpreted to abuse children. 'The rod and staff represent authority of parents or the elderly to teach and guide children and it's not about beating.' Whiles agreeing that as part of teaching children, correction could not be ruled out, he explained that it was important to use alternative punishments other than abuse to ensure that violence, hatred, and pain were not inflicted on children all in the name of training. The two-day workshop was organised by the Department of Children under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to sensitise participants as part of broader stakeholder engagements to deepen community child protection roles as well as promote the Ghanaian Against Child Abuse (GACA) social drive. Participants included Church leaders and pastors, queens, chiefs, community and opinion leaders from Islamic communities, media practitioners and other stakeholders. Mr Christopher Lartey, Principal Programmes officer, Department of Children added that the rights of children were basic needs for their growth and development and could not constitute any breed of indiscipline among children or the youth. 'It cannot be true that child rights are leading children astray, rather it's the abuse of children in the name of correction or punishment over a long period of time which has made violence and abuse seem acceptable in society.' He said it was unfortunate that many had criticised the rights of children to protection, survival and from non-discrimination creating the impression that child rights were foreign culture adding 'child rights are basic needs for every child anywhere.' Madam Latifa Abobo Siddique, Eastern Regional Director of the Department of Children on her part said every stakeholder including religious and traditional leaders had a stake in child protection. She also appealed to the participants especially the religious and traditional leaders to desist from intervening or interfering in criminal matters involving children such as assault and defilement to allow the law to take its due course.

Source: Ghana News Agency