According to the Western Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Olivia Ewurabena Adiku “at about 11:40hrs on Friday 20th July 2017, an extract of occurrence was received from Police at Ayamfuri in the Central Region to the effect that suspect, William Otoo met at Ayamfuri together with victim aged 18 years and mentally challenged “.

This is after the suspect had wrongly placed a call to a reverend minister at Ayamfuri instead of the ritualist who was to buy the victim.

The Reverend Minister upon hearing the story of the suspect pretended to be the ritualist and negotiated to buy the victim to the tune of GH 250,000.

The revered minister then informed the police of the suspect’s intentions. Teacher Otoo was arrested after he had presented the victim for cash at Ayamfuri.

The suspect is in police custody whilst investigations have begun

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By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Speaking at a two-day workshop on trafficking, the US Ambassador to Ghana, Robert Jackson, revealed that Ghana risks losing the $500 million Millennium Challenge Compact funds, if the government fails to improve efforts in the fight against human trafficking.

[contextly_sidebar id=”ERxPLVBotqukz6vXpZcliwb65lXBAnUa”]The US Department of State had Ghana ranked as a tier 2 watch-list country in 2016, marking the second consecutive year the country had been given that status.

Children purchased for the price of outboard motors

Mr. Jackson described the Volta Region as “the nexus of trafficking” in Ghana, explaining that “if we go to the Volta Region, I can buy five children for what it costs to buy an outboard motor for a boat, and no country is immune.”

Lamenting on the lack of prosecution for child trafficking offences, he bemoaned that “for too long, Ghana’s courts have not convicted people for this crime. There are plenty of victims so there must be criminals as well. What this means is that, Ghana does not meet the minimum standards for combating trafficking in persons,” Mr. Jackson noted.

He said this means that Ghana risks “losing assistance from USAID. It risks losing the $500 million Millennium Challenge Account Compact.”

Ghana’s failings

Ghana’s status on the Tier 2 watch-list means that, it does not fully meet the Trafficking Victims Protection Act’s (TVPA) minimum standards, but it is making significant efforts to meet those standards.

For countries in this watch-list, the absolute number of victims of severe forms of trafficking is deemed to be very significant, and there is also a highlighted failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat severe forms of trafficking in persons from the previous year, with the failure to provide adequate and timely operating funds for law enforcement and protection agencies cited in Ghana’s case.

The US Department of State, in its 2016 report, noted Ghana as a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labour and sex trafficking.

The department indicates further that, Ghanaian boys and girls are subjected to forced labor within the country in fishing, domestic service, street hawking, begging, portering, artisanal gold mining, quarrying, herding, and agriculture.

The Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Service is said to have reported 238 investigations, and referred 21 individuals for prosecution for trafficking-related crimes, but the government reported no convictions in 2015.

The US Ambassador’s comments come on the back of the US’s commitment of $5 million to fight child trafficking in Ghana. This grant will be given over a period of four years.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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In a statement signed by the Executive Secretary of GHAPEA, Rev Dr. Ocansey, the group lauded the service and encouraged it to do more to curb the increasing rate of the illegality.

“GHAPEA wishes to congratulate GIS for their diligence in stopping this new rapidly growing trend of human smuggling through Togo and Nigeria following the direct to home ban of domestic workers to the Gulf Countries,” she said

[contextly_sidebar id=”gT4oZFfLybFeQIVM4GN4aVAW7BstC2xK”]Rev Dr. Ocansey said the important move by the Ghana Immigration Service needs commendation especially in the wake of the temporary ban on direct to home transfer of domestic workers to the Gulf region.

The group also reiterated its commitment to ensure a sterile system of immigrant employment abroad.

“GHAPEA is committed to the sanitization of our industry and our 26 member recruitment agencies are dedicated to ensuring safe and decent jobs overseas for all Ghanaians,” Executive Secretary of GHAPEA Rev. Dr Ocansey added.

About the arrest

The Ghana Immigration Service through a sting operation arrested the four suspects at Aflao when they attempted to traffic forty-three girls to Saudi Arabia through Nigeria.

The four, including two Ghanaians, are Mohammed Nasiru 48 years, Mohammed Jabaru 26 years and two Nigerians, Dada Olakunle 45 years, Ifeanyi Chike 46 years.

Confirming the arrest to Citi News, the Head of Public Affairs Unit of the Ghana Immigration Service, DSI Michael Amoako Atta, said “On the ninth and tenth of this month (June), our Aflao Sector command brought about forty three young Ghanaian ladies who were being trafficked to Saudi Arabia through Nigeria.”

“They were being trafficked by two Ghanaians and two Nigerians. After our initial investigations, we realized that they were able to mobilize the girls across the length and breadth of the country with promises of good jobs in Saudi, which some of the girls readily agreed to go along with. Some didn’t even inform their parents and they joined the wagon.”

He added that, his outfit is on guard at the land boarders following the ban on such travels by air.

He noted that “because of the ban on travel through Kotoka International Airport with these house-helps, the agents are trying to use the land boarders and we have put all our officers on high alert and that has resulted in this arrest.”

DSI Amoako Atta reiterated that the Service is committed to implement government’s legislation in the sector.

“For us as an institution of state mandated to keep the integrity of our boarders, we are complying with government’s directive to make sure that right thing is done. We are still investigating as they may be some bigger fishes behind who maybe using these four guys to do this business. When we are able to lay hands on them, then we can say that we have a larger hold on the whole process. We have kept the girls at a safe place, when we get much information, we can use them as evidence for prosecution,” he said.

Background

The ban was borne out of a petition made by GHAPEA to the Government of Ghana on May 30th, following growing concerns by young ladies who had fallen victims to unlicensed operators through the most dangerous form of migration

“We were pleased that the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour Awuah, concurred and announced the ban.  We were alarmed to hear of this new development of human smuggling, which is why are glad to hear that GIS is on such a high alert to be able to accomplish this feat. Together, we can be very effective for the sake of the safety and security of our ladies, and eradicate this new phenomenon.”

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By: Anass S. Seidu/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Courage Boadi, a travel and tours operator, and Michael Akantoganya, a self-styled businessman, were picked up at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) last Monday, as they were facilitating departure formalities for the victims.

The Deputy Executive Director of EOCO, Mr Walter Amewu, told journalists in Accra that the suspects were arrested with the assistance of personnel of Aviation Security and the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).

Intelligence

Narrating how the suspects were arrested, he said EOCO picked up intelligence that some persons were facilitating the trafficking of girls to Jordan.

He said EOCO alerted its surveillance unit when the organisation got the victims’ schedule of travel.

Based on that, he said, the Aviation Security and the GIS were notified to be on the alert at the KIA.

He said the suspects and the victims were subsequently arrested while the girls were going through departure formalities.

Police take over

Mr Amewu said the suspects and the victims had been handed over to the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service for further investigations.

When contacted, the Head of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the CID, Superintendent Mike Baah, confirmed that the unit had taken over investigations into the case.

He said the principal suspect, Boadi, who operated Boving Travel and Tours, a travel and tours company, was allegedly engaged in an illegal business because he was using the company to operate as a private recruitment agency without licence from the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations.

Supt Baah indicated that the police were making efforts to reunite the victims with their families.

Tier two

Ghana has been on the Tier Two Watch List of the United States for the past two years because of its poor performance in the fight against human trafficking.

A third consecutive year of appearance on the list could make the US government withdraw its financial and other logistic support for the country.

Source: Daily Graphic

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The non-profit organization, which, this year, is marking its 5th anniversary themed “Accelerating Impact. Driving Change”, also reported that over 300 early-stage social entrepreneurs were supported to develop organizations that are improving the lives of children, youth, and women in 7 African countries.

Since it’s launched in Ghana in 2012, Reach for Change Africa has provided crucial business development support for social entrepreneurs who, in turn, used their social businesses to impact over one million children.

As a result, over 435,000 African children were protected from mental abuse and threats, over 308,000 children were provided with high-quality education, and over 156,000 children were supported to develop and live healthy lives.

“The social enterprise movement is really starting to take off in Africa, and we are honoured to be a part of this movement for change,” said Amma Lartey, Reach for Change Africa’s Regional Director. “With the right supports, social entrepreneurs have the potential to lead Africa’s development and impact millions along the way.”

Reach for Change Africa is a non-profit organization that runs incubators, accelerators and other customized programs to help local social entrepreneurs develop sustainable organizations that impact the lives of children, youth, and women. In the report, a number of social entrepreneurs from the 7 countries where Reach for Change Africa operates, explained how the organization’s programs helped them to develop their social ventures.

“This year, I spoke with my mentor at Reach for Change about the possibility of franchising my social enterprise and got great feedback. This led me to apply for the NEXTGEN franchising competition and because of the great influence and impact of the Reach for Change Incubator, I was among the winners! Now I am looking into scaling Apps & Girls across all of Tanzania and other African countries,” she added.The Reach for Change Incubator also helped James Kofi Annan build a social enterprise that’s fighting child trafficking in Ghana.

“I owe a debt of gratitude to Reach for Change. Its Incubator program brought direct benefits to me and to Challenging Heights. Today, Challenging Heights is a well-respected global leader in the fight against child trafficking.” said James Kofi Annan.

From the age of 6 to 16, James Kofi Annan was enslaved, starved, abused and forced to work in appalling conditions. After managing to escape and turning his life around, James was determined to prevent other children from experiencing the same thing. He founded Challenging Heights, an organization that rescues and rehabilitates children from slavery, identifies and educates vulnerable children and establishes income-generating initiatives in at-risk communities and empowers youth and families to help prevent child trafficking.

Since joining the Reach for Change Incubator in 2013, James has more than quadrupled Challenging Heights annual budget and is implementing a 5-year strategic plan, developed with support from Reach for Change. Most importantly, he has impacted the lives of over 8,000 Ghanaian children.

The 5-year anniversary report also details Reach for Change’s plans for the future. Over the course of the next 5 years, the organization plans to run additional accelerators to increase the number of African social entrepreneurs that they reach, enriching the social enterprise ecosystem across Africa through research, and implement new programming, such as the rapid scale program for more established social entrepreneurs in the growth phase of their development.

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By: Reach for Change

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The children, aged between five and seventeen, were made up of four girls, and 13 boys.

This brings to 1,600 the total number of children the organization has rescued since it was established some 12 years ago.

Some of these 17 children have worked for nearly twelve years in servitude, working under very deplorable conditions.

In an interview with the media, the President of Challenging Heights, James Kofi Annan, called for urgent government action to address the situation.

He praised the Ministry of Gender for working towards the establishment of the Human Trafficking National Action Plan, but expressed disappointment that the government is failing to resource the various institutions such as the Ghana Police Service, and the Human Trafficking Secretariat, both of which are key if the country is to see an end to the problem.

Child trafficking in the fishing industry has been a problem for the Ghanaian government for several decades. It is estimated that there are over 21,000 working children on Lake Volta alone, and there are several thousands more going through various forms of abuse.

in 2016, the American government warned that Ghana risk losing a lot of the aid money if steps are not taken to address child trafficking in the country.

Challenging Heights works in several communities across Ghana, to rescue, rehabilitate and re-integrate children who have been affected by worst forms of child labor, including trafficking.

The organisation, which recently launched its new 5-year strategic plan, is also involved with the provision of livelihoods training and support for several hundreds of women who are affected by trafficking.

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Credit: Challenging Heights

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These 18 children, who are between the ages of 5 and 17, are currently going through rehabilitation at the organisation’s rehabilitation centre.

Child trafficking in the fishing industry has been a problem for the Ghanaian government for several decades. It is estimated that there are over 21,000 working children on Lake Volta alone, and there are several thousands more going through various forms of abuse.

In 2005, the Ghanaian government passed the Human Trafficking law, making human trafficking a criminal offense, punishable by at least five years imprisonment.

Challenging Heights works in several communities across Ghana, to rescue, rehabilitate and re-integrate children who have been affected by worst forms of child labour, including trafficking. The organisation, which recently launched its new 5-year strategic plan, is also involved with the provision of livelihoods training and support for several hundreds of women who are affected by trafficking.

It is hope that the government would provide the necessary resources for the Human Trafficking Department of the Ghana Police Service, and the Human Trafficking Secretariat of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, to have the capacity to deal decisively with the issue of human trafficking, especially in the fishing industry.

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Credit: Challenging Heights

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