Ga Mantse King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II has unveiled a robust legislative agenda targeting the eradication of child labour in the fishing industry. The Ga king announced that new traditional by-laws are being drafted to criminalise the involvement of children in commercial fishing during school hours, with a particular emphasis on holding parents and guardians legally accountable.
This announcement was made during the 2026 Kinka Blonya, the annual New Year children’s festival, held on Thursday, January 1, 2026. Addressing a large gathering of children, parents, and traditional leaders, the Ga Mantse declared that the era of choosing the high seas over the classroom is drawing to a close. Once the by-law is ratified, parents who allow or force their children into the fishing trade at the expense of their education will face immediate arrest and prosecution.
The Ga Mantse has emphasised that all traditional leaders within the Ga State have united to vigorously support education. He declared that a time is approaching when children engaging in fishing instead of attending school will be considered a crime. To remove poverty as an obstacle to this educational goal, he pointed to significant investments by the Office of the Ga Mantse, including an extensive scholarship program aimed at supporting the most vulnerable families in coastal communities.
The King further stressed that, with these resources in place, the presence of school-aged children at landing beaches during school hours will no longer be tolerated. “We are at a point where prioritising education in the Ga state is non-negotiable. We are providing over 1000 scholarships; therefore, parents have no excuse to enrol their kids in schools. Let’s all come together and raise the Ga Children for the future,” he added.
This initiative is not merely a legal directive but a strategic socio-economic intervention. By awarding approximately a thousand scholarships, the traditional leadership seeks to create a new generation of professionals—doctors, engineers, and entrepreneurs—hailing from the Ga community.
The Ga Mantse stressed that safeguarding the future of the state requires a collective shift in mindset, where the long-term benefits of a degree outweigh the short-term gains of a daily catch. The traditional council is expected to collaborate with the Ghana Police Service and local government authorities to enforce these new regulations.
Key highlights of the upcoming enforcement include:
- Beach Patrols: Monitoring landing sites to identify children out of school.
- Parental Accountability: Legal summons for guardians of children found engaged in labour.
- Scholarship Verification: Ensuring that recipients of the 1,000+ scholarships maintain consistent attendance and academic performance.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
