MCE UER Kassena-Nankana East is to arrest anyone who impregnates a teen female within the municipality.
Joseph Adongo is the municipal chief executive for Kassena-Nankana East in the Upper East Region.
Joseph Adongo, municipal chief executive for Kassena-Nankana East in the Upper East Region, has described the alarming increase in adolescent pregnancy in his jurisdiction. Whoever impregnates a teen female will be arrested and turned over to the authorities to face the law.
According to Mr. Adongo, he is very concerned because the issue has been a source of concern for the entire Assembly. "You can even imagine people getting married in elementary school."
Speaking on the radio station Dreamzfm, which Apexnewsgh.com monitors Mr. Adongo stated that the issue of adolescent pregnancy is handled seriously: "I believe that we, as an assembly, are going to confront the issue because we take it very seriously. If you impregnate a girl or allow her to cease attending school as a result, you will be taken to the police and dealt with by the law. Initially, we believe that if a man impregnates a woman, she is eligible for marriage. Now, however, we argue that the perpetrator should also be punished. Occasionally, the girl will halt and the boy will continue.
"Therefore, we believe that this coerced marriage is one of the causes of all these issues. Therefore, we in the assembly concurred that no one, no politician, and no opinion leader should become involved in such situations.
"It is regrettable that, in rural and urban areas alike, parents are giving up. Someone impregnates your daughter, and you wonder what you can do now that she is expectant. The only thing remaining is to encourage her to get married.
He provided an example of a situation he observed at the Naaga Chief Palace.
"I believe the issue is very serious and it should be addressed from both sides, parents, teachers, and even society. The way we look at it, I believe she has developed breasts (she is an adult and this behavior is not acceptable) and this is not helping the situation."
"We have realized that the performance of this all-night music session, passing out, and the like consists of the aforementioned elements. We discussed and agreed that the chiefs and opinion leaders in the various areas should put measures in place to ensure that these activities do not continue beyond a certain time period and that certain ages are not permitted to be present at that time; we are looking at both the perpetrator and the victim. We are also educating the populace on how to safeguard their offspring until they reach a higher level."