Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin is calling for an enactment of a law that will withhold salaries of irresponsible parents. The withheld salaries, he suggested, should be used to take care of children they have fathered, but have refused to take care of them.
Speaking at the 2024 Ohum Kan Festival durbar in Kyebi recently, Okyenhene argued that when such a law is enacted, it will compel parents to be responsible towards their wards and also help in reducing the menace of streetism in the country.
“You give birth in your community and abscond to a different town to work without providing for your children. That is irresponsible, the state should be able to freeze your salary or whatever you earn and use it to take care of the child. You will work but your salary will go to the children you have deserted”, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin said.
Okyenhene called on parents to be responsible and ensure the welfare and safety of their children in order to create a safer and peaceful community. He added that young children who have been left to their fate on the street may return one day to torment the elite if care is not taken.
Touching on the need to be patriotic and responsible, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, hinted of reports on some teaching and non-teaching staff at the various Senior High Schools deliberately sabotaging the Free SHS policy.
He mentioned that some staff have grown the penchant for stealing food items meant for the school children. He cited a situation in Kyebi where a staff stole food items meant for the school children. He said such people must be named and shame.
“The State is struggling to ensure that every Ghanaian Child gets some basic education for free. You steal food items meant for these innocent children and create shortage of food in the schools, then you have the guts to video food being served in the school and make mockery of its quality to the world. Have you forgotten you stole the stuff ? You don’t have shame ?, Osagyefuo lamented.
He called on Ghanaians to rekindle the spirit of patriotism and love for the country. Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin admonished the youth to desist from drug abuse in any form and live a befitting lifestyle.
“They say there is one called tramadol or something, they take it and become sober. It’s not good. Yyou must desist from drug abuse in all forms. The nation needs you”, Okyenhene said.
He called on the Police to aggressively go after drug pushers and prosecute them since their activities have severe consequences on the youth and even the aged.
This year’s Ohum festival coincided with Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin’s 25th Anniversary celebration on the ascension to the Ofori Panin Stool.
The Ohum festival reflects the core Akan belief in unity of life. The symbolic essence, the principle of balance, moderation and regeneration is an immeasurable contribution to the struggle for ecological integrity as a prerequisite for the sustenance of humanity.
The two weeks observance of no-drumming and no-digging of the earth is to provide a solemn condition for deep reflection of the challenges of the past, the condition of the present and the plans for a rehabilitated future.
Symbolically, it is marked by observance of the regeneration of the ‘Mmerekensono tree’ – the petiole growing at the banks of the Birim River, symbolising the unity of life and ecological integrity and harmony.
