ALSO READ:

• Nigel Gaisie’s latest prophecy on Ghana and Mahama [Listen]
• Be vigilant, you’ll win as flagbearer but… – Alan Kyerematen warned

He said this is to clear the streets of Accra of the nuisance of seeing persons who are Nigerien nationals begging on the streets of Accra.

He assured the Nigerien residents in Ghana who will be repatriated that employable skills will be provided.

He said all persons who will be repatriated to Niger as a result of the measures to rid Nigerien beggars off the streets of Accra will be catered for at home.

He noted that the Nigerien government has made jobs available for all who will be returned.

He warned that persons who will be repatriated as a result of the partnership will be dealt with in accordance with the immigration laws of Ghana if they attempt to return to Ghana.

In recent times children believed to be Nigerien nationals from the West African sub-region have besieged some streets in Accra, occupying medians and traffic intersections of some busy streets to harass motorists and pedestrians for money.

The places where the children are mostly seen are the Graphic Road, Lapaz, Achimota, Kasoa Old Barrier traffic lights, University of Professional Studies (UPSA) junction, the Accra Mall, Adjiringano, Shiashie near Emmanuel Eye Clinic, and some ceremonial streets.

Entitled “Begging is a Wrong concept of Compassion” – the campaign was launched last March by the General Department of Criminal Investigation (CID) in cooperation with Police Stations and sub-departments of CID. 

Colonel Ahmed Al Adidi, Acting Director of Anti-infiltrators at the General Department of Criminal Investigation, said that a team was formed to combat begging across the emirate before the beginning of the Holy Month and to monitor places expected to be frequented by beggars.

Col. Al Adidi explained that the campaign showed evident success in reducing the number of beggars annually, thanks to the strict procedures taken against violators and the efforts of the General Department of Criminal Investigation to eliminate this illegal behaviour.

“There are official and charitable entities and authorities ready to help the needy, which we, at Dubai Police urge whomever in need of financial aid to turn to,” he added. 

“Begging poses a serious threat to the safety and security of our society. We take the matter seriously as it ruins the reputation of the emirate and also affects the security as it increases cases of thefts and pickpocketing,” Col. Al Adidi continued.

“There are people who attempt to justify their illegal behaviour with their financial desperation. However, according to Federal Law No. 9 of 2018 on Anti-begging, anyone caught begging in the UAE will be fined AED 5,000 and imprisoned for a term of up to three months. Those operating professional gangs of beggars or recruiting people from outside the country to work as beggars face a jail term of not less than six months and a minimum fine of AED 100,000.” Col. Al Adidi stressed.

The principal streets of Ghana’s second-largest city have recently been invaded by hundreds of alien beggars, the majority of them believed to have migrated from Mali, Burkina Faso, South Sudan, Chad and Niger.

The recent conflicts in the Sahelian Region were identified as the factors contributing to this development, as the migrants and their children flee for their lives.

Alhaji Usman Ahmed, Head of the Regional Fulani Community, and also a member of the Ghana Ranching Committee, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Kumasi, described the development as unfortunate, especially the use of minors to beg for alms.

The manner in which these kids run after speeding vehicles on the streets is worrying, he bemoaned.

“It is unfortunate that nobody seems to care about the activities of the teeming kids on our streets, and the earlier the authorities resolved the issue the better it would be for the country,” Alhaji Ahmed noted.

These migrants have besieged mosques in the metropolis, especially the Kumasi Central Mosque, where most of them are perching.

Reacting to the issue, the Regional Department of Children under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, told the GNA that the Directorate was also worried about the situation.

“We have notified the Ghana Immigration Service and REGSEC of the prevailing circumstances.

“The authorities have promised to tackle the issue urgently,” Stephen Darfuor, Regional Director of the Department, stated.

The safety of the migrant children, according to him, was at stake.

Since the advent of colonialism, Africa has been depicted as the poorest of continents with its citizens malnourished and undeveloped, and Juliet Ibrahim’s comment seemed to have added colour to that notion.

Commenting on an Instagram live of Canadian artiste, Tony Lanez, Miss Ibrahim expressed surprise she did not see Africans on his page begging like they are ‘fond of doing’.

In another instance, she commented on how the rapper was spilling milk, adding Africans need it for survival.

SEE ALSO

• Fans are not happy about Sandra Akobiah’s huge backside

• Trigmatic reveals how musician Jupitar was ‘bounced’ at a nightclub

“If this was African artiste live video; account numbers go full comment section oo.

“Milk that some people need to feed in Africa,” she commented.

The comments did not please some social media lovers who dragged her into the mud.

Read some comments below:

Sometimes, the way we react to issues of national importance turns political. I would not mind if Ghana decides to allow the entire world population of 7 Billion [United Nations world population reached 7 Billion on October 31, 2011], to come and live in Ghana legitimately.

In fact, I do not have any problem whatsoever if Ghana decides to bring in refugees to live in Ghana legitimately. But what we are seeing now on the pavements of big cities such as Accra, Kumasi, and others, as nation is not the best.

 And what am I talking about?

I am talking about these young toddlers who are seen on the streets of major cities begging for arms that are mostly from Niger, Mali, Somalia, among other African country.

Their parents use them on streets to forcefully collect monies from pedestrians which are unacceptable and that is the more reason why I disagree with Daily Graphic report on Thursday July 6th 2017 which suggest that these children are beggers.

This is because, majority of this children have graduated from begging to physically attacking Ghanaians to collect money to the point that they sometimes never allow you to go pass unless you give them money.

The most painful part of it is that, when you give this child the money, he or she quickly run to the father or the mother or the guardian and hand it over to them. Woe to a child who collects money and don’t bring it to the parent. They are maltreated by the parents or guardians.

We cannot sit down and watch something like that to continue since it reduces our beloved nation to the global mockery and destroy the image of hardworking Ghanaians across the globe.

I wish to point it out that, in the spirit of diplomacy and ECOWAS protocols, it is not everything that must be talked about, but with this development, it is unfortunate I have to comment on it because it is a threat to national security but I am shock the authorities and security agencies are sitting unconcerned.

 You can see clearly that, this is a disgrace to us and bring the name of Ghana into disrepute to the global community.

The existing on streets begging for arms is a national security treat because Ghana do not have a data of these people, where they live and how they get into the country.

They enter into the country illegally and they start given birth immediately, the most serious being the fact that some Ghanaians have join them.

I would like to draw your attention once again that, this is the children who do not go to school, do not  have anything to do with us but the only thing they need is our money to their parent who chose not to work and take care of their children but rather sit and sleep on the pavements.

We watch these children forcibly taken money from people to their parent today as children but tomorrow, they will grow up as adult and that is when we will begin to reap their fruit.

Because, these people do not work to take care of their children, what would they become tomorrow?

I would like to appeal to our various security agencies to rise up and protect this nation today before it is too late for us as country.

It will get to a point that we cannot take it anymore so our leaders must wake up and deal with the issue before it get out of hand.

Already, some Ghanaians are threatening to begin beating them up which I think will not augur well for us.

I will appeal once again that all ministries and agencies responsible for ensuring these practice stop not sit down unconcerned before it is too late.

God bless youth of Ghana

Long live Ghana

 JONATHAN YAWBLAY

PASTOR TO PARLIAMENTARY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

FOUNDER AND PASTOR CHRIST GARDEN CHAPEL

PRODUCER AND HOST OF PASTORS FORUM ASEMPA 94.7 FM

PRESIDENT SEE VISION YOUTH GHANA