The Upper East Regional Director of the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Lawyer Jaladeen Abdulai is appealing to Ghanaians to support the Upper East Regional Fund for Victims of Abuse.
The fund was launched by the Widows and Orphans Movement (WOM) with its partners to provide support for victims of abuse in the Upper East Region.
Speaking on the Day Break Upper East Show on A1 Radio today, May 13, 2022, Lawyer Abdulai said the fund “stems from section 31 of the Domestic Violence Act. If you go back to section 29, it says there’s established by this act a victims of domestic violence support fund. Section 30 talks about the objectives of this fund and what is supposed to be used for. But when it comes to 31, [that is] where our problem is. The monies for the fund include voluntary contributions, monies approved by parliament and monies from other sources.”
He continued that “since 2007 up to now, what has gone into the fund is just a peanut and it has not yet been operationalized. So, we in the Upper East Region, knowing that we are coming from one of the poorest in the region, what support can we give to our people? Yes, the act has provided for the fund. Even if the fund was in existence, would they have decentralized it for all of us to benefit? How were our people going to source funds from it? So those of us who are into issues of rights concerning children and women decided to come together and help our people.”
The CHRAJ boss explained that the fund is for all victims of abuse within the Upper East Region although it was launched in Bolgatanga, the regional capital.
“We have not said women or men. It could be that a young boy is been taken into a corner by a woman and once this person is abused and needs to have a medical report on it and the person goes to the hospital, we will come to the aid of that boy. So it doesn’t mean that we are going to the aid of only girls or women,” he added.
Lawyer Abdulai says the fund has three (3) signatories to ensure accountability. The managers of the fund will publish annual audited accounts on their website to ensure transparency.
He also appealed to the Regional Minister to talk to the various Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs) in the region to contribute to the fund.
People who want to donate to the fund can do so through the accounts below.
Account Name: Upper East Regional Support Fund for Victims of Abuse
Name of Bank: Fidelity
Accounts Number: 1050367791313
Voda Cash Number: 0506478675
Registered Name: U/E Regional Support Fund for Victims of Abuse.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Osuman Kaapore Tahiru|Ghana
