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The Member of Parliament (MP) for
Afadzato South District in the Volta region, Angela Oforiwaa Alorwu-Tay
has called for the ban of witch camps in Ghana, specifically in the
northern parts of the country.
In a press statement on this
year’s International Women’s Day Celebration, Ms Alorwu-Tay bemoaned
that, an existence of witches camp in this era is worrisome hence the
government must consider a roadmap to end such canker.
” I cannot
end this International Women’s Day statement without talking about an
issue that really breaks my heart; the continuous operation of witch
camps in 21st Century Ghana. I saw a documentary on the operations of
these camps on TV recently and I was appalled by the conditions they
live in, such facilities deprive women of their rights to develop fully
and freely and ends depriving their children of education, good health
and proper sanitation. Sadly, a lot of the about 1,000 women who find
themselves in the about six witch camps at Boyansi, Gambaga, Gnani,
Kpatinga, Kokuo and Naabuli are innocent widows who have been wrongly
accused of murders they didn’t commit,” she said.
In Northen
Ghana, especially in Yendi, Nanumba South, Gushegu and Nanumba South
districts, witchcraft accusations are very common, with more than four
witch camps in these areas, where alleged witches have been isolated.
According to the MP, such camps deprive women of development and infringe on their human rights.
She
said, although successive governments have tried to put a stop to the
operations of the camps, there is more to do. She asked the President,
Nana Akufo-Addo and the Gender Ministry to use this year’s celebration
to draw a roadmap to ending the operation of the witch camps.
“Again,
successive leaders have spoken repeatedly about their commitments to
get these women re-integrated in their communities so these camps can be
disbanded, but sadly, its been a lot of talk. It’s about time
leadership walked the talk, President Akufo-Addo and the Minister for
Gender, Children and Social Protection should use this day to give the
women of this country what I believe will be the most priceless gift we
will be extremely happy to have; a roadmap to re-integrate the women in
these witch camps and a systemic disbanding of the camps, never to be
resurrected again,” she added.
Ms Alorwu-Tay suggested “an
establishment of a national taskforce to lead the re-integration and
disbanding, a dedicated budget for the taskforce which will be
multi–sectorial and decentralised, a reasonable timeframe within which
the objectives will be achieved and a comprehensive educational
programme to sensitise residents in the various communities where these
problems are endemic to desist from such cruel, criminal; and
intimidatory acts…these women don’t belong in these camps and we need to
have all hands-on deck to get them out as soon as possible.”
Source: classfmonline.com
