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Alhaji Amidu Sulemana, Upper West Regional Minister, has said the first offenders of child abuse, exploitation and neglect in the Region were often their direct parents.

“Most parents do not know that if a child is born that child does not belong to them alone but to the state called Ghana.

“Yes, you are the one who gave birth to the child but that child does not belong to you alone, but the state as well,” Alhaji Sulemana said at a five-day ‘Child Protection District Level Training Teams’ workshop in Wa.

He said the scenario in the Region has been that children were found roaming the streets but their parents were not perturbed about their protection, but rather prefer to look for their missing animals.

“Don’t treat your children as domestic animals. Communities must exercise their parental roles to protect children. Why it is that you take care of the animals more than your children,” he queried.

He said it was sad that in some communities people were showing responsibility and quickly summoned persons found to have stolen their animals but showed lackadaisical attitude towards their children’s protection and gave them out to child trafficker to abuse.

The Regional Minister urged parents to exercise their responsibilities of ensuring the provision of proper protection and training of children in the communities.

He said child protection was a collective responsibility which could not be achieved without effective collaboration and partnership from all stakeholders.

Stakeholders such as parents, community leaders, traditional rulers, district assemblies and non-governmental organisations must combine efforts and work to achieve the target enshrine in the sustainable development goals and protect their children.

Parents in particular must be up and doing with their parental duties as most reported cases of child abuse were often attributed to poor parental care and neglect in the Region.

Alhaji Sulemana reminded parents that the laws of Ghana forbade them to neglect, abuse or subject their children to any forms of inhumane treatment.

“We as parents are by law required to protect the lives and dignity of our children, provide them with good education and healthcare, dignified shelter, fend for them, and also among others, provide the needed guidance for them,” the Regional Minister said.