Donkorkrom(Eastern Region), 31st May 99 –
The District Chief Executive of Afram Plains, Lt. Col. Lord Sarfo has warned that the District Assembly would cause the arrest and prosecution of fishermen who engage slave boys to work for them.
He explained that, the issue is difficult to control because most of the boys involved are recruited from other fishing villages in the country.
The District Chief Executive said often the people in the fishing communities in the Afram Plains keep the background of those boys secret from the authorities until when there are disasters and efforts are made to locate their relatives or hometowns.
Lt Col Sarfo was answering a question at the regional edition of the ” Meet the Press” series, organised by the Eastern Regional Branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) at Donkorkrom at the weekend.
Mr A.Y.O. Modoc, Director of Afram Plains Development Organisation, a non-governmental organisation, said his organisation had done a lot of research on the issue of slave boys on the Afram Plains.
The Director explained that as the slave boys and their masters often lead a nomadic life – they move from one fishing village to the other – it is very difficult to trace them.
Mr Ackom Quayson, district Officer of the Commission on Human Right and Administrative Justice gave the assurance that his outfit is working out a plan with the district Assembly to stamp out the practice in the Afram Plains.
GRi?/
