Ghana Govt to protest CNN over child labour documentary

The government of Ghana has protested a CNN documentary for its poor reflection of efforts by the government to address child labour practices on the Volta Lake.

Cable News Network (CNN) in the past week has been airing a documentary which highlights the history and impact of the practice but does not highlight the efforts of the state in addressing the situation.

The government, on Friday, 1 March 2019 expressed its reservations about CNN’s failure to have highlighted the efforts being made by officialdom in addressing the situation.

Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, in a telephone conversation and a subsequent letter to CNN, said while the government acknowledges the practice, it has worked in the last decade to curb it, leading to significant successes.

The government and CNN have agreed to collaborate on a sequel highlighting the government’s efforts to eradicate cases of child labour on the lake.

CNN, through its producer and Executive Editor, Leif Coorlim, said the state had been given an opportunity in the documentary to provide an update on its efforts to resolve the challenge but was willing to offer a more comprehensive platform for that purpose.

The documentary featured an assembly member of the Krachi West District in the Volta Region, Prince Latif Oyekunle, who said “the government is aware of the problem and is working on strategies to rescue the children from their ‘masters’. We haven’t started implementation yet but we have discussed it as the executive committee meeting and at some general assembly meetings”.

Ahead of the sequel, CNN has agreed to grant the government of Ghana a platform to respond to the suppositions in the documentary, which is expected to be aired later this week.

Additionally, the sequel is expected to highlight the successes chalked so far in dealing with the practice.