Joseph Addae Akwaboa, the Bono Regional Minister
Joseph Addae Akwaboa, the Bono Regional Minister, says he has directed the Sunyani Municipal Assembly to enact a byelaw aimed at curbing the growing trend of commercial sex work in the municipality.
He stated that the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) is also working strategically with the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) to apprehend and prosecute offenders.
The Regional Minister added that the RCC and key stakeholders are putting in place pragmatic measures to clamp down on sex workers who have infiltrated the regional capital.
Though Akwaboa acknowledged that the task ahead remains daunting, he emphasized that the RCC will collaborate effectively with other stakeholders to combat sex work and other social ills. He also called for media support to address the rising trend of drug abuse and peddling among young people in the municipality.
The Minister was responding to a question on the actions being taken by the RCC to tackle the growing commercial sex work activities in the capital during a media interaction in Sunyani.
Describing the situation as worrying, Akwaboa noted that the RCC alone cannot shoulder the responsibility of addressing drug abuse and commercial sex work and called for a collective approach.
“It is difficult to identify a commercial sex worker on the roadside or street. There are legal complications. However, those who operate from brothels and certain recognized locations can be more easily identified and dealt with,” he stated.
Nonetheless, Akwaboa expressed confidence that, with the help of the NIB, the increasing commercial sex activities in the capital can be brought under control.
