The General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie says the rising incidents of teenage pregnancy should be blamed on former President Jerry John Rawlings. Mr. Owusu Afriyie, also known as “Sir John” rejected claims by former Lirst Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem on Tuesday that, the NPP ought to be held responsible for the high rate of teenage pregnancies, saying the statement is inaccurate, aimed at discrediting the Kufuor-led administration. Mrs. Rawlings accused the Kufuor administration of scrapping Religious and Moral Education and Sex Education from the educational curriculum during the schools reforms, leading to the moral decay of the youth. But Owusu Afriyie argued that if Nana Konadu has any blame, she should blame it on her husband, Jerry John Rawlings. Owusu Afriyie told Adom News that the morals of the youth were lost the very day that the former President Jerry John Rawlings staged a coup d'état in Ghana. He said the high immorality among the youth is the fruits of the seeds sowed by the former first family. He indicated that rising cases of teenage pregnancy among the youth could not be attributed to the New Patriotic Party as is being claimed by Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings. Meanwhile, the former Minister of Education, Professor Dominic Fobih has also debunked the allegation by Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings. Prof. Fobih explained that Religious and Moral Education and Sex Education were not deleted under new educational reforms, but a decision was taken that students were not supposed to be examined on those two subjects during terminal exams and that it did not stop students from being taught. Professor Fobih contended that upon a critical analysis, it was realized that the workload was too much for pupils at the basic level hence a need to reduce the burden on them. The decision was to teach the students those subjects, but they would not be examined in the final examination. Professor Fobih said the high teenage pregnancy rate among girls of school going age could be attributed to high level of poverty in the country. He said the government should address the high unemployment problems confronting the nation to enable parents to meet their obligations at home. Story: Francis Hinakwah/Adom News