The Father of the House has finally Spoken!

On Wednesday, the 16^th of March 2016 I published a story on my blog www.thedogbeyleague.com  and later on the online platform of the University of Cape Coast’s radio station ATL FM www.atlfmonline.com . The story I captioned #Bring Back Our Fathers sought to unearth one of the major but ignored truths underlying the prevalence of teenage pregnancy and child streetism in Cape Coast. My story although well received attracted few critiques from stakeholders. They were of the view that my story was biased and asserted that I had been too hard on the male student populace.

A few months after I published my story, ATL FM covered a story of a Chief of one of the towns in the Central Region who held the view that the introduction of free maternal care meted out to pregnant teenagers was the leading contributor to the prevalence of cases of teenage pregnancy in the Central Region. Although I do not agree completely with this assertion, I noted a troubled Chief attempting to curb a situation so commonplace it is like a capital city to the Central Region. Subsequent publications and contentions from concerned Chiefs and stakeholders in Cape Coast who desired an end to this undying canker were all channeled to obvious reasons including illiteracy, minimal sexual education, poverty, and the lack of jobs among others. These findings had still not elucidated the problem. I did not deny the fact that these reasons were contributing factors, all I wanted was to showcase the unnamed but major contributing factor.

I had not given up and went back to my drawing board to figure out the best way to address this issue. Although I was dealing with a sensitive issue of gender, I did not wish to join in the chorus of others who painted a partial picture of the problem by ruling out the major contributing factor for fear that it might taint the image of any educational institution in Cape Coast. I had lived in Cape Coast for practically 6 years and have noticed this abnormal but conventional happening. These ladies were nicknamed ‘Nkoso’ (I still have no idea what language it was created from and what it actually meant) and the male students from the senior high and surrounding tertiary institutions engaged in unhealthy sexual relationships with them. It was more like a norm and nobody seemed to find anything wrong with it.

I held on to my viewpoint and could not be convinced to ‘drop’ this story despite unfriendly reactions from my colleagues. Outstanding among these questions was, how much research went into my story?  

A valid question I must say. They wanted proof that is, to see in person, the ladies I had interviewed. I was conducting research on a very sensitive issue and none of these young mothers will want their identities revealed. Some of them still continued in the act and ignorantly blamed it on poverty. I had identities to protect and this brought more doubt to my work but I can assure you; if the entire student body were writers, they would have written countless pages on the prevalent and infamous ‘Nkoso’ phenomenon although conformists will still require an approved research from a credible and powerful research institution like UNICEF before acting on the story. 

So on the 30^th of September I received a barrage of messages in my inbox containing mostly hyperlinks directed to the online platforms of media stations including www.myjoyonline.com and www.3news.com pertaining to a story of Nana Yartel III the Chief of Amamoma who threatens forced marriages on male students of the University of Cape Coast should they impregnate any female native.  Concerned lawyers and ‘lovers of the law’ like myself did not agree completely with the strategy of forced marriage and for a Chief to opt for this technique did not only reveal how bad the situation was but also clearly states the lead sponsor of this undesirable act, that is the male student populace. Nana Yartel III had indirectly approved of my story and I am ever confident to round up my research and publish the contents of my findings into a book showcasing not only the causative factors of this canker but a concocted way to address this issue. The book captioned ’Bring Back Our Fathers’ to be dedicated to the Chief of Amamoma, Nana Yartel III, will be used as a means to raise funds to construct a skills training center for these vulnerable but promising kids. 

Bring Back Our Fathers - A Cape Coast Story co-authored by Atsu Dogbey and Tony Afuti  

COMING SOON!!!