Children appeal to authorities at Sagnarigu to include them in decision-making  

School children at Youngduuni in the Sagnarigu Municipality of the Northern Region have appealed to authorities to prioritise their inclusion in local decision-making processes to promote inclusive governance and sustainable development.  

They emphasized the importance of involving children in the planning and budgeting processes of the Assembly, saying it would help ensure that their specific needs and challenges were reflected in development plans ensuring fair and transparent representation.  

The appeal was made during the commemoration of this year’s International Day of the African Child at Youngduuni in the Municipality.  

Organized by the Northern Regional Programme Office of ActionAid Ghana, an international NGO, the event brought together school children, stakeholders, and community leaders.  

The commemoration was on the theme: “Planning and Budgeting for Children’s Rights: Progress Since 2010.”  

Miss Doris Nyande, a pupil of Youngduuni Primary School, read a petition on behalf of children in the municipality, saying investing in children was key to achieving a prosperous, stable, and secure area.  

The petition said, “The eradication of poverty, sustainable human capital development, and economic growth cannot be realized unless we invest in children.”  

It expressed need for improved quality of education, integration of cultural values into the school curriculum, and provision of essential learning facilities such as libraries and ICT centres.  

It called for a more conducive learning environment, including adequate furniture and improved Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene facilities.   

The children used drama to push for stakeholders’ commitment to include them in key decision-making processes in the area.  

A representative of Mr Abdulai Imoro Gong, Sagnarigu Municipal Chief Executive, received the petition and described the children’s appeal as timely, especially in light of the ongoing preparation of the Medium-Term Development Plans of the Assembly.  

Madam Alia Mumuni, Programmes Officer at ActionAid Ghana’s Northern Regional Office, said the event reflected the organisation’s commitment to children’s participation in their own development.  

She said, “That is why over the years, we have been empowering them through girls’ clubs, community meetings, and school sensitisation programmes.”  

She said as part of activities to commemorate the Day, ActionAid Ghana collaborated with the Regional Planning Unit to conduct sensitisation programmes in three schools including Saint James JHS in Dabogshei, Sorugu M/A JHS, and Youngduuni JHS focusing on the planning and budgeting processes of the Assemblies.  

She urged Assemblies in the region to prioritise consultations with children to ensure their voices were incorporated into development agenda.  

Mr Sunday Iddrisu, Northern Regional Director, Department of Children, underscored the importance of including children in decision-making processes, saying it boosted their confidence and encouraged them to contribute to community development.  

Madam Alhassan Bushira, Acting Northern Regional Director, Department of Gender and Social Protection encouraged the children to study hard to justify their inclusion in decision-making spaces.  

The International Day of the African Child is observed annually on June 16 to honour the students of Soweto, South Africa, who, in 1976, protested racial segregation and the poor treatment of Black children in the education system.  

The day was instituted in 1991 by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union.  

Source: GNA