The Minister for Gender, Children, and Social Protection (MoGCSP), Madam Lariba Zwueira Abudu, has said that persons accusing others of witchcraft will be prosecuted.
She said Ghana has passed the ‘Witchcraft Law’, criminalizing the declaration, accusation, naming or labelling of others as witches or wizards.
The Minister said this during an engagement on Monday and Tuesday with some communities in Mion District and Kumbungu Districts in the Northern Region.
She appealed to the chiefs and community leaders to protect their localities and also support the government’s efforts at making every part of the country a better place for all.
Madam Lariba stressed that a community benefiting from the government’s programmes would hardly develop fully when it entertains and promotes social problems or issues that negatively affect community members.
She added that the mission of the ministry was to create a society where poverty and vulnerability are reduced to the barest minimum; bridge inequality and inequity gaps, reduce social vices and empower Ghanaians to contribute to national development.
“MoGCSP engaged the community members to create the understanding and acceptance of social protection programmes, including human capital development and conscientise them on preventable but rampant social issues like human trafficking, child abuse, teenage pregnancy, rape, domestic violence, unlawful accusation and lynching based on witchcraft beliefs,” she added.
Grace Acheampong, ISD
