20100922
africanews

In his recent appearance before the 11-member Committee set up by the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare on the cases of abuse, neglect and deaths which he recently uncovered in the Osu Children's Home, The New Crusading GUIDE's ace investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas brought forth new revelations which were not captured in his 90-minute investigative television documentary that was aired publicly.

Anas, who appeared before the committee with his face covered (for security reasons), pointed out that a Guest House at the Home serves as a prostitution joint for members of the public who bring in prostitutes for sex, a situation which does not augur well for the upbringing of the children. “People openly bring prostitutes into the Guest house and in the morning after sleeping with them, they hold them in their skimpy dresses and pass in front of the children. As a result of this, the children have on many occasions found condoms around the Home, which normally come from the Guest House”, Anas stated. He mentioned other cases of staff apartments being rented out to members of the public; teenage girls of the Home being picked at night by their boyfriends on a regular basis.

The undercover reporter went ahead to tell the Committee that he and his hidden cameras are still within the walls of the Osu Children’s Home and things have not changed in any significant way. “As I speak, I am still in the Osu Children’s Home, and I am sorry to say that things have not changed in any way. Akuamoah is still beating the children and the same caregivers caught abusing the children are still there, making frantic efforts to indoctrinate the children into not speaking the truth as revealed in the documentary. Some of the children are complying, but many others would be willing to talk provided it was done in an atmosphere of genuine love and trust”, he told the Committee.

Watch undercover video at the home

On the cases presented in the 90-minute documentary, Anas told the Chairman and members of the Committee that he had since been contacted by many volunteers who had worked within the Osu Children’s Home over the years as well as some individuals who had witnessed the reported cases firsthand and were willing to appear before the committee to share their experiences. “Most of them want to testify without any risk of being victimized or losing their connection with the children within the Home”, he said.

Anas also promised to provide the Committee with the identities of some individuals who live within the Osu Children’s Home and are willing to testify before the committee provided they are assured of the needed confidentiality.

Volunteers

Also, a group of volunteers who have served within the Osu Children’s Home over the years have created a platform on the social networking site, FACEBOOK to share their experiences at the Home and garner support towards improved conditions at the Home. Created under the name, “Help Change Barbaric Conditions at Osu Children’s Home”, this platform currently has some 432 members who have joined the cause to call for an improvement in the standard of living for children in the Osu Children’s Home. Among these volunteers, many people have shared harrowing experiences they witnessed at the Home and many more have expressed their willingness to help the committee when called upon. They have also posted videos and pictures on the website, which they took while volunteering in the Home.

Currently, some of the volunteers residing in Ghana have expressed their readiness to appear before the committee.

They have also called for the Committee’s intervention on the current situation where most volunteers are being victimized by authorities of the Home and being accused of leaking information of abuse at the Home to Anas Aremeyaw Anas. They have noted that as a result of this, all volunteers have been asked not to step foot at the Home again, denying them an opportunity to share their time and gifts with the children; the reason for which they came to Ghana.

“It is a waste of time. If I knew I would pay my airfare to come and help children in the Home, only to be denied access, I would have gone to Kenya or to Ethiopia to serve the children there”, said one of the volunteers under anonymity.

On his part, Antwi-Boasiako Sekyere, Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Welfare who doubles as chairman of the Committee, stated the Committee’s commitment to ensure that the whole process was conducted in a very fair and transparent manner. “I want to assure you that we would welcome anybody who has anything to add on this matter and promise them the needed confidentiality”.

The chairman also called on the general public and stakeholders to submit recommendations aimed at assisting in caring and protecting children from harm at such orphanages to promote their normal growth and development into responsible adulthood. He said the Committee would hold two public hearings on Thursday, September 23 and Thursday, September 30 at the Media centre at the Accra Sports stadium.

Meanwhile, The New Crusading GUIDE has filed a petition to the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) through its legal counsel, Ken Attafuah Law Place.

The petition, filed on behalf of the newspaper and the scores of children in the Osu Children’s Home as well as the Remand Home, requested CHRAJ to “investigate its allegations of violations of the fundamental rights of children, abuse of power and corruption at the Osu Children’s Home and the Osu Remand Home, both in Accra”.