The President of the Sewa Foundation Ghana, a Non-Governmental Organization, is advocating for the inclusion of basic law education in the school curriculum from the primary level through to senior secondary school.

According to Mr. Jones Owusu-Yeboah, the lack of legal awareness has led many people to unknowingly violate the law.

Mr. Owusu-Yeboah noted that 98 percent of people in detention are there because they were unaware of the law.

He argues that if the Ghana Education Service(GES) introduces basic law education as part of civic education, it would help young people understand the law and prevent minor crimes in the country.

He emphasized that many commercial drivers are frequently arrested for violations of basic laws that could have been taught in school as part of civic education.

Mr. Owusu-Yeboah expressed concern about the high level of legal ignorance, which often leads to innocent people being detained in custody.

Speaking in an interview with Classfmonline.com, the human rights activist highlighted the worrying trend of young people being unaware of the law, resulting in incarceration for minor offenses.

He explained that many young people do not realize that actions such as taking money under false pretences and failing to provide services are crimes.

Often, they perceive these behaviours as normal until they encounter the law and plead ignorance, he maintains.

"It is against this background that we, as an NGO, are appealing to the Ministry of Education, through the Ghana Education Service, to incorporate basic laws, like the Children’s Act, into the school curriculum from the primary level to secondary school," he stated.

"This would give young people a fair understanding of what the law entails."

Mr. Owusu-Yeboah also criticized some police officers for exploiting young people’s ignorance by demanding money for bail and other services.

He expressed concern that these situations become more troubling when a police officer has a personal grudge against a young person, especially in cases involving romantic relationships, where minor offenses are treated as serious crimes

According to him, Sewa Foundation has been designed to focus on providing humanitarian solutions to some of the world’s biggest societal challenges.

He said the organization also provides policy advise on matters relating to anti-human trafficking, migration and diaspora relations.

‘’Sewa Foundation has over 15 years of expertise in humanitarian issues.

The organization partners with international development organizations like IOM, GIZ, World Bank, UNICEF, UN, government institutions amongst others, he concluded.