The Northern Regional Minister-designate, Ali John Adolf, has expressed his deep concern over the plight of those accused of witchcraft in the northern part of the country and his determination to address the challenge.
“Many of our elderly are often accused of witchcraft, and sometimes when I see this on social media or television, what some of them go through deeply saddens me. I can only imagine if my own mother or father had to endure such a treatment,” he told the vetting committee in Parliament during his appearance on Thursday.
He further stated that he would liaise with traditional rulers in the region to find a lasting solution to this longstanding issue, saying, “I will do everything I can to gain support from the traditional rulers. If I am given the opportunity to become the regional minister, we will need their intervention to help us determine the best approach, and if possible, reintegrate most of them back into their families or find a way to free them from this bondage,” he assured the committee.
Witch camps in the northern part of the country are isolated locations where mostly women accused of witchcraft are often held against their will. The camps are the result of the belief that witchcraft is a supernatural crime and that evil spirits can be exorcised by a spiritual leader.
In recent past years, Parliament has passed a law criminalising the declaration, accusation, naming, or labelling of another person as a witch in Ghana.
The amendment which was approved also prohibits any person from practicing as a witch doctor or witchfinder.
Meanwhile, efforts by successive governments, individuals, and civil society organisations (CSOs) to ban such camps yielded no result as the local community has largely resisted these efforts.
