Address by:

Hon. E. T. Mensah
Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare - Republic of Ghana
Presentation of Logistics to GCLMS Pilot MDAs and Others
14th March, 2011,
Hohoe Municipal Assembly Hohoe.

Hon. MCE

Coordinating Directors

Representatives of COCOBOD, Ghana Statistical Service,

National Programme Manager, NPECLC

Nananom

District Social Welfare Officers, Labour Officers

Colleagues on the Programme for elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great honour and pleasure to see you together at this important forum. This signifies that the National Programme for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour in Cocoa is on course. I wish to cease this opportunity to express my profound gratitude to the authorities of the Hohoe Municipality, more especially the MCE and the paramount chief for their warm reception.

This year the NPECLC as part of its annual plan of action is to provide Technical and logistical support to the pilot districts of the GCLMS and some non – pilot District Assemblies who are working tirelessly towards the elimination of worst forms of child labour in the cocoa sectors.

There has been many interventions put in place to achieve the goal and objectives of NPECLC.

The last few months have seen series of meetings and, refresher training has just ended at Anita Hotel in Ejisu- Kumasi. This and many interventions are being carried out.

Today, the purpose of this forum here in the Hohoe Municipality is to launch the Ghana Child Labour Monitoring System (GCLMS) which is projected to take off this April in some Cocoa growing Districts.  The GCLMS is an active process to ensure child surveillance at the community level.  It also involves a direct observation of activities of children in communities, at their work places and even at school. The overall objective is to ensure that children are safe from exploitation and hazardous activities on the cocoa farms.

Ladies and gentlemen, for this reason, the NPECLC has acquired some robust and rural friendly motor bikes to aide the implementation of this programme. Today,  each pilot district would receive one motor bike and sixty bicycles for the purpose of the pilot of the GCLMS.  I entreat the beneficiary districts of these logistics to make sure that, six bicycles are allocated for each community. The motorbikes should be remained at the District Assembly for the same task.

The non – pilot Districts would receive 4 bicycles each to augment the ones they already have.

I therefore entreat Coordinating Directors, District Social Welfare Officers, Labour Officers, Co-operative Officers, DCPC/CCPC members and other implementing officials of the programme to ensure that these items are used for the purpose for which they have been acquired.  They must be maintained very often to ensure that they last for a longer period.

It is my hope that, as usual, you would commit yourselves to the fight against WFCL in cocoa and that we shall yield expected results which would promote the welfare of the child and, ultimately, the development of our dear country.

I wish to hand over the motor bikes and bicycles to you. Thank you, and may God bless us all.