News:
June 15, 2020
Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour Awuah has revealed that Ghana and the Ivory Coast risk sanction by the US for using children cocoa farms in both countries.
According to him a study conducted by the US State Department on Labour which is at its daft stage pointed to the fact that children are being used in the production of cocoa, “should this be true the consequence four us would be dire”.
He further pointed out that some Senators in the US have started mobilizing people to boycott cocoa from the two West African countries.
Again, whether accepting or not, the outcome of the study he noted does not mean back in the country there should not be re-awaking of the awareness of child labour among Ghanaians, hence the “Ministry’s decision that the International Labour Day we want to mobilize support from lawmakers”. For lawmakers to all join in fighting against child labour and he added that he appreciate the contribution of his colleagues but was quick to point out that there is a lot of work to be done because of the level of understanding of child labour.
As the understanding differ from one person to the other hence the need to carry out a lot of education in that direction, “we are not saying Ghanaian children should be ban from doing things related to cocoa farm”.
He was briefing the media after he presented a statement on the floor of the House on International Labour Day on Friday June 12, 2020.
In addition he added that children are supposed to use their youthful age to learn to grow to become responsible adults and self-develop, but rather they are being forced to work’
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com