Sakawa, Smoking Threatening Peace In N/R � Minister

The Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna has once again raised red flag over the growing indiscipline and miscreant behavior among most of the youth, which he indicated was now threatening the peace and security in the region.

Even though the Northern Region is always threatened by frequent chieftaincy and land disputes, the issues of broad day fraud and money rituals, popularly known as “Sakawa”, smoking, alcoholism and use of drugs by the youth is now the order of the day, especially in the Tamale Metropolis.

Speaking at a get-together organized for senior citizens in the Region, in commemoration of the 55th Republic Day Celebration in Tamale, Alhaji Limuna called for the full support of the chiefs and community leaders to enable the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) to clamp down on those miscreants before they tear the region and its image apart.

It is believed that the sakawa business in Tamale has now assumed a new dimension where the players are now engaged in serious occultism. Most of them are said to be using human body parts for sacrifices.

The Minister, in trying to prevent other innocent youth from getting infected by the behavior of those miscreants has since assumption of office, staged serious war against those engaged in the sakawa business. He succeeded in arresting some of their leaders for trial in court.

The Regional Minister has also taken it upon himself to use every available public platform to advice the youth to stay away from indisciplined acts, but they are yet to adhere to his call. According to Alhaji Limuna, the youth are the future leaders of the region and Ghana as a whole, and that posterity would not forgive him if he spared the rod.

“We have said it again and again that we do not hate boys and girls, neither do we want to deprive them of any source of livelihood. But we have a duty to protect the society today and the future generations, and if we allow them to have their way, posterity will not forgive us”.

The regional Minister also appealed to the Chiefs and the senior citizens to support the government and for that matter the REGSEC to rid the region of those miscreants and their practices, which he said were threatening the fabric of the society.

Meanwhile, this year’s Senior Citizens Day Celebration was supported by ActionAid Ghana, which refreshed the participants and presented them with certificates of recognition and other gifts.