CHILD RIGHTS INTERNATIONAL CALLS FOR PROTECTION OF CHILDREN

PUBLISHED IN THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER IN GHANA
A Non Governmental Organization which focuses on fighting for the rights of children, Child Rights International has appealed to the social welfare department to intervene and protect the children of the head pastor of the International God’s Way church, Bishop Daniel Obinim who was involved in a vandalistic act last week. Bishop Obinim on the night of Monday August 8, 2011 stormed and vandalized the premises of Hot FM, an Accra-based radio station, with the support of two of his pastors. He injured a staff of the station and destroyed several property belong to the station. Bishop Obinim was reacting to a broadcast implicating him in a sexual affair with the wife of one of his former pastors. He was granted bail in the sum of Gh¢50,000 each with two sureties by an Accra circuit to re-appear on August 30. Obinim, 33, Kingsley Baah, 25, and Kofi Akwetey, 35, all pastors, were charged with conspiracy, causing harm and damage but they pleaded not guilty. Child right international told the Globe that despite the actions of the Bishop, his children deserve protection from possible stigmatization since they could be traumatized and made to suffer for acts they are innocent of. The organization is also calling for protection for the child of the wife of Bishop Obinim’s former junior pastor who he is purported to have been spiritually incapacitated by the Bishop. The executive director of Child Rights International, Bright Appiah told the Globe that “ what we are concerned about is that, children are involved in this matter and since it has to do with the spiritual issue we are also looking at inviting other prominent institutions to support them”. He said “when issues like this happen, there is the possibility that stigmatization will also affect the children. Because they attend school and definitely be traumatized by some of the comments their friends will pass” Mr. Appiah said the department of social welfare can do a lot for the children of Bishop Obinim. He however called on the children leaders to also help heal the spiritually incapacitated child of the woman Bishop Obinim had an affair with to also intervene and support the child.
WRITTEN BY Isaac Kaledzi