Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection and Member of Parliament for Krowor, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has emphasied that security operations and swoops alone are not enough to address rising cases of prostitution and drug abuse among young people.
She stressed that while joint enforcement exercises involving security agencies and local authorities have been ongoing, sustainable progress requires stronger community involvement and attention to the root causes of the challenge.
Speaking at the launch of the Nii Odaiteitse We Education Trust Fund at Nungua, she called for the active support of traditional leaders and opinion leaders to ensure that interventions being implemented achieve lasting impact.
“When measures are being taken to correct such issues, we need the support and backing of all and sundry especially the traditional leaders and the opinion leaders so that what we work towards, we will see it materialise. Other than that, it will be like we are taking a step forward and two steps backward,” she said.
Dr. Lartey noted that without sustained collaboration from communities, enforcement efforts alone would not yield the desired results.
She also highlighted education as a key pillar in tackling youth vulnerability, adding that the newly launched fund has been introduced to support students who complete secondary education but are unable to pursue tertiary studies due to financial constraints.
According to her, several young people in the constituency have been affected by this challenge, making educational support critical in breaking the cycle of poverty.
“All the clans should emulate it so that the youth can go further. It is a way of eradicating poverty,” she added.
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