By:JOHN NORTEYE DOKU, MUNICIPAL INFORMATION OFFICER (LaDMA)
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly, Honourable (Mrs) Gladys Tsotsoo Mann-Dedey on Monday embarked on a swift operation within the La Township to monitor and bring sanity in the operation of betting and video game houses within the municipality.
15 persons below the ages of eighteen and four adult operators were arrested at various betting and video game houses during the exercise which brought to the fore, the reluctant nature of the citizens to help in the developing of the municipality.
Accompanying the MCE were personnel from the La Police Command led by the District Commander, the Municipal Security Guards as well as some key staff of the Assembly.
The team came across a middle age woman sitting half naked opposite the La police station. According to the woman she was knocked down by an onrushing vehicle in the early hours of the morning ,she could not move and nobody was willing to help her, thinking she was an insane person. Touched by the story, the MCE asked that she was taken to the hospital for urgent treatment after seeing to it that she was clothed.
Hon. Gladys Mann-Dedey was bewildered to see children of school going age mingling with adults and elderly persons to gamble at these betting houses which include Soccer Bet and Safari Bet centre’s. Expressing her frustration on the issue, Hon Mann-Dedey said no parent has an excuse for not sending his or her child of school going age to school with the introduction of the Free SHS intervention by the government which was to complement the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) programme.
No parent has an excuse for not sending his or her child to school, especially, with the introduction of the Free SHS policy which has been introduced by His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo to complement the F-CUBE policy- the MCE stated.
She lamented that the issue is a communal one which if not curtailed would put the future of these children in jeopardy.
“This issue is a community problem and detrimental to the education of the children,” she said.
With no option the MCE called for the arrest children be sent to the La police station while they wait for their parents or guardians to be questioned.
