Nunoo-Mensah Blames Robberies On High Unemployment

A former Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier General Nunoo-Mensah, has blamed joblessness for the increasing spate of robbery attacks in the country.

According to him, the country’s jobless youth are frustrated.

Within the month of February, Citi News reported on close to twenty robbery attacks that led to the loss of lives and properties across the country, with majority of them recorded in the national capital.

Speaking to Citi News, the former army general urged government to critically focus on addressing the root cause of the increased robbery which he said was unemployment.

“These people are organized; they are not just rampant robbers, they are serious people who are organized and they know what they are doing so the police need to have good intelligence…I’m saying that they are motivated by the stomach– the empty and the hungry. It is their stomach that is pushing them, they are hungry and I don’t believe that there is any political motivation behind it, I don’t believe it.”

Brigadier General Nunoo-Mensah also said the newly launched ‘Operation Calm life’ initiative by government, will not make any impact.

“We must confront the problem, but in the medium to long term, we must tackle the root causes. We have to sit down and think.  We have to take our time and not to react to what I call knee jerk reactions. Unless we tackle the main cause it will keep coming,” he added.

Robbers on rampage

This week has seen a number of robbery incidents, especially in Accra.

The incidents include one at Tema Industrial Area that saw a Lebanese, gunned down, and GHS 200,000 he had withdrawn from a bank taken.

Forex bureaux and mobile money points have also been major targets in these recent robberies.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), David Asante Apeatu, this week announced that the police arrested a group of suspected robbers believed to be behind attacks on about 20 forex bureaux in the Spintex road area in 2018.

Soldiers to help fight ruthless armed robbers – Gov’t

In response to the heightened insecurity, government has said that it’s ‘Operation Calm Life’ initiative, which has seen a collaboration between the police and military personnel providing security in parts of the country, will be given a boost.

It also announced several other initiatives all in a bid to improve security.

‘We’re ready to die’

Despite these attacks some of which have also been recorded in Accra and Tema, COP George Akufo Dampare, who was Director of Operations until on Thursday when he was reassigned to the Research and Planning unit of the Police Service, has said although his outfit is logistically deficient, they are ready to put their lives on the line to ensure the safety of every Ghanaian.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, Dampare also noted that the support of the citizens will go a long way to help the Police Service combat the increasing rate of crime in the country.

“We want to give them [citizens] the assurance that we will go every length, including losing our lives to make them safe. We understand that we are not there yet, in terms of the full complement of our equipment. We also understand that over the years, government after government has made an attempt to bring us to a particular level in terms of equipment,” he said.