High Unemployment Cause of Increased Vigilantism – IMANI Boss

President of policy think tank, IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe has said the recent surge in the activities of vigilante groups can be attributed to the increasing rate of unemployment in the country.

According to him, people who have no jobs hide behind vigilante groups to perpetrate heinous crimes in the country because those groups get the backing and protection of the political elite.

Mr. Cudjoe made the remark on Citi FM’s news analysis programme The Big Issue on Saturday when he and the other panelists on the programme, discussed the suspension of the Upper West Regional Minister, Sulemana Alhassan, for allegedly shielding some youth of the governing New Patriotic Party who vandalized the office of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) in that region.

He stated that it was crucial that the government focused on creating jobs for the teeming youth in order to ensure that such incidents are tackled permanently.

“…Because of the absence of jobs, they probably would want to be known as vigilante groups. It’s part of a problem we have as a developing country where we have serious challenges with unemployment and I think the root cause is what we should be looking at. In order for these not to rear their ugly heads again, it is important to have a very long-term view on how to deal with these matters.”

“For me, the vigilante issue is one part of a very big conversation we should be having on unemployment in this country,” Cudjoe added.

Addressing the suspension of the Regional Minister, the IMANI Africa president stated that Sulemana Alhassan should have been sacked instead for his action and utterances.

“Giving his own comment which sought to justify the actions, this obviously does not augur well for any civilized country,” he added.

Youth attack NADMO office’

About 30 angry youth affiliated to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) besieged the NADMO office on Wednesday.

When they attempted to break into the Regional Director’s office, the group was initially prevented by his aide but they eventually overpowered him.

The Police were later called in to intervene but they were reportedly prevented from effecting any arrest by the Regional Minister.

President Akufo-Addo later on Thursday suspended the Regional Minister.

Five arrested

Five people believed to have masterminded the attack were subsequently arrested and hauled in court.

The Wa circuit court presided over by Justice Baah Forson Agyepong on Friday, February 2, 2018 remanded the five persons into police custody.

Meanwhile, staff of NADMO in the region who were on strike in protest of the attack have subsequently called off the action.

Source: Citifmonline