Madam Patricia Abotsi, Gender Coordinator at the Korle Klottey Municipal Education Directorate, has expressed her concerns about the negative impact of sports betting and cyber fraud on the education and intellectual growth of many male students in the Municipality.
She stated, “These students are absenting themselves from school and are focusing on sports betting and gambling instead of their academics.”
The remarks were made by Madam Abotsi during the commemoration of the International Day of the Boy Child in Accra. The event was held under the theme, “Fostering the Development of a Generation Free from the Threat of Cyber Fraud and Sports Betting.”
The event brought together students in the municipality, who were educated about the dangers and negative effects of sports betting and gambling on the boy child.
Madam Abotsi called for the regulation of sports betting in the country, saying, “We have been celebrating the girl-child often, leaving the boy-child on his own. This has led to most of these boys finding solace in gambling and betting.”
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Oscar Kofi Ameyenku, Director of the Community Policing Unit of the Ghana Police Service, emphasized the vulnerability of the boy child to offences and the need to guide them on the right path.
He stated, “Underage betting is illegal, and we urge school children not to fall victim to sports betting and cyber fraud in order not to destroy their future.”
ACP Ameyenku assured that the police would continue to sensitize community school students about the importance of avoiding sports betting and its adverse effects.
The International Day of the Boy Child, inaugurated in 2018 by Dr Jerome Teelucksingh, a thought leader on gender issues and founder of International Men's Day, is observed on May 16 of each year. The day focuses on promoting the well-being of boys and achieving true gender equality worldwide.
