Ga Mantse King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II has rolled out a hard-hitting crackdown to wipe out child labour in the coastal fishing trade, declaring that the days of children abandoning classrooms for the waves are drawing to a dramatic end.
The revered Ga monarch announced that powerful new traditional by-laws are being crafted to outlaw the use of children in commercial fishing during school hours — placing full legal responsibility on parents and guardians who permit or compel the practice.
He made the bold declaration at the 2026 Kinka Blonya New Year children’s festival on Thursday, January 1, where he addressed a charged gathering of families, community leaders, and young people.
With firm resolve, the King warned that once the by-law comes into force, any parent who sends a child to the shores instead of the classroom will face swift arrest and prosecution.
According to the Ga Mantse, all traditional authorities within the Ga State have united behind an aggressive education-first agenda, signalling a decisive break from harmful child labour traditions that deprive young people of their future.
To remove poverty as an excuse, he revealed that the Office of the Ga Mantse is rolling out a massive social support initiative — including a large-scale scholarship scheme targeted at struggling households within coastal communities.
With these interventions in place, he declared that the state will no longer tolerate the presence of school-aged children at landing beaches when they should be in school.
He stressed that education has now become non-negotiable in the Ga State, noting that more than 1,000 scholarships are being made available to ensure every child has access to formal learning.
He rallied parents, community elders, and citizens to stand together in protecting the future of Ga children — insisting that the tide must now turn from child labour to opportunity, dignity, and education.
