A Caribbean woman based in Trinidad and Tobago is currently in search of the father of her children – Richard Panford, a Ghanaian.
Panford, who has declared his intentions to contest for a seat in parliament on the ticket of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Gomoa East constituency in the central region is the alleged culprit.
In an exclusive interview with TodayGhanaNews via telephone from her base in Trinidad and Tobago, Amanda Wilkinson, explained that, she met the Ghanaian politician in Canada where they both fell in love and out of that they begot a wonderful set of twin babies who are now ten years old.
Explaining further, she lamented that, the Ghanaian politician abandoned her and the two children since the first month they were born and all efforts to make him play his fatherly role has proved futile.
She said, even though the Ontario Court of Justice, on January 20, 2012 ruled in favor of she and her children to be supported financially on monthly basis, Panford has failed to oblige to the court order, making life very difficult for her and the children.
Child Support in Canada
According to the laws concerning Child Support in Canada, once you have worked out the important details for living and care of your children, through custody and access arrangements, you will next need to determine child support.
Despite being divorced, both parents always remain legally obligated to financially support their children. The main principle of Canada’s child support law states “All children should continue to benefit from the financial means of both parents as if they were still together”.
In fact, in Canada a judge must be satisfied that appropriate financial arrangements have been made for children, before a divorce can be granted. Child support is the right of the child. A parent cannot contract out of a child’s support with the other parent.
Livelihood is becoming very difficult for Mrs. Wilkinson and her children, hence she was deported to her native country Trinidad and Tobago. And Panford has since refused to pick her calls or even talk to the children who are now child adults.
“All children need the support of both parents and as such, they are also legally entitled to it, but Mr. Panford, is happily enjoying life in Ghana and I am here struggling to feed my children” she said in almost tears.
TodayGhanaNews team in a telephone conversation with Panford, the NPP politician told us he was also deported from Canada and so life is also very difficult for him back home, and this is accounts for his inability to cater for his children.
Source: SethAddi || TodayGhanaNews