THE Regent of Kukuo in the Nanumba South District of the Northern Region, Mahami Iddrisu, has called on human rights activists and the government to ensure that the alleged witches confined at a camp in the area benefit from the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
He explained that the health needs of the witches were in jeopardy due to poverty, and the failure to grant them the NHIS services was undermining their fundamental human rights as citizens of the country.
The regent made the call when the Co-ordinator of the Southern Sector Youth and Women Empowerment Network (SOSYWEN), Madam Zenabu Sakibu, called on him at his palace as part of her visit to the witches camp.
The SOSYWEN, a non-governmental organisation, has been instrumental in supporting efforts at providing the needs of the 123 alleged witches and their 171 grandchildren at the camp.
Regent Iddrisu said of the 123 witches, only 11 were on the scheme, with 64 out of their 171 grandchildren having been registered.
He contended that it was unacceptable for the witches to be denied access to the scheme just because they were poor.
According to him, the witches were only being accused of engaging in suspected witchcraft and that was not enough proof to deny them of their health needs, which was their right.
According to the regent, because of stigmatisation most of the witches and their grandchildren could not be integrated into their respective communities although the purification rites had been performed.
“Whether witches can be integrated into their community or not depends so much on the will of the community and their respective families; whereas a man (wizard) can go back to his community a woman accused of witchcraft cannot because of cultural and traditional values,” the regent stated.
He, therefore, appealed to benevolent and public-spirited individuals and organisations to come to the aid of the alleged witches.
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