Widow and Orphan Movement (WOM) in the Upper East region has called on the traditional leaders to enact by-laws that strictly protect the aged against violence in communities.
Their call follows the lynching of a 90-year old women alleged to be a witch in the East Gonja Municipality of the Savannah Region.
Outraged by the barbaric incident, the public is calling for a swift arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators to serve as deterrent.
Speaking on A1 Radio’s Daybreak Upper East in Bolgatanga, Director of the Widow and Orphan Movement, Fati Abigail Abdulai, condemned the barbaric act, adding that, it was not enough to issue press releases on violent acts against the aged but institutions responsible must crack the whip on perpetrators of such crimes.
“This act of labeling aged people as witches is increasingly becoming worrying as sometimes religious leaders especially pastors and Imams would be the ones to publicly tag some people as witches.
This attitudes by these leaders need to be stopped. Institutions ought to come together and find a lasting solution to this canker. Institutions need to begin educating people about the aged. People need to know that being aged does not necessarily mean you are a witch”.
Miss. Abdulai, admonished the Gonja traditional rulers to condemn the act and make sure that, perpetrators of the barbaric act are brought to book.
Source:|A1radioonline.com|101.1MHZ|Moses Apiah|Ghana
