As far as Lariba Zuweira Abudu, the minister of gender, children, and social protection is concerned, if the public stops giving money to child beggars, begging on the streets of Accra and other major towns in the nation could be reduced.
Madam Abudu thus pleaded with the general public, particularly city dwellers, to refrain from providing money to kids who are begging on the streets, sometimes in perilous situations. Ms Abudu provided information on the various ministry programs during the Sunday Minister’s Press Briefing in Accra.
“We have done a lot to take them from the streets but somehow they find themselves back, we even repatriated 400 of them and engaged the embassies here but they find ways to come back so we have to stop giving money to minors on the streets because as adults I don’t see why we should be giving monies to six-year-olds on the streets,” Ms Abudu said.
She said the government did not have the resources to repatriate the child beggars presently on the streets but would encourage the public to shun them and desist from giving them cash to help force them out of the streets.
“If you don’t give them today and I don’t give them tomorrow, next week they will be forced to leave the streets and move away,” the minister added.
