13-year-old girl drags father to CHRAJ

Axim (Western Region) 19 Oct. '99

Miss Elizabeth Kwofie, a 13-year-old girl of Axim, has dragged her father, Mr Samuel Kwofie, 45-year-old worker of Nsein Senior Secondary School to the Commission for Human Right and Administration of Justice (CHRAJ) district office for deprivation of education and maintenance.

Miss Kwofie told officials of the Nzema East District office of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice that her father had failed to give "fatherly care, education and maintenance".

She said her grandmother who had been responsible for her had died and that her father should be made to sponsor her to learn a trade since she could not go to school now at her age.

Mr Kwofie, who was summoned before CHRAJ office, confirmed that he had not been responsible for the upkeep of the girl.

He explained that his daughter had been disrespectful to him and that she had refused to stay with him since his marriage to her mother crashed several years ago.

Miss Kwofie's mother, Madam Elizabeth Osei, told the CHRAJ that Mr Kwofie neglected her daughter when she was two year's old and as she was not in a gainful employment, she left for Cote d'Ivoire, leaving Elizabeth with her grandmother.

Mr William Osafo-Offinam, District CHRAJ Commissioner told the press that Mr Kwofie has now accepted to sponsor the daughter to learn dressmaking.

This is the first time a child has dragged the father to the CHRAJ for failing his responsibilities, since its establishment in the district five years ago.

Mr Osafo-Offinam said this meant that CHRAJ's educational activities in the district had not been in vain.

GRi../