Security analyst Adib Saani has called on authorities to immediately find sustainable ways to create jobs for the unemployed youth in Ghana.
Mr. Saani believes it will go a long way in keeping the youth busy and preventing others from using them to foment trouble.
He indicated that some young people who are used in conflict zones, especially areas with protracted chieftaincy and land disputes, do not have access to sustainable jobs.
This, he noted, makes it easier for people to use them for their selfish interests.
This forms part of his suggestions for long-term measures to address these disputes such as the ones going on in Wa West.
The number of unemployed youth aged between 15 and 35 rose from about 1.2 million to over 1.3 million during the third quarter of 2023, with the rate among females consistently higher than males.
This was captured in the Annual Household Income and Expenditure Survey Quarter Three Labour Bulletin by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).
Mr. Saani, in his submission, said there are people who take advantage of the situation to use unemployed people to fuel their violent activities.
“There is too much insecurity and a high rate of unemployment. The rate of unemployment in the country has risen to 14 percent. That is a serious issue we have to look at. Because there is unemployment in the country, people or some actors take advantage of the unemployed, promise them money and other benefits, and give them arms to go and fight. So until we address the structural human insecurities, it will be difficult to address these issues.”
He is questioning the connection between these conflicts and other parties beyond Ghana, as they appear to be a cross-order issue.
“We don’t know if the criminals travel from Burkina Faso or Ivory Coast, commit crimes in our country, and then leave.We should also look into if these people require body parts and continue to commit crimes so that they can collect them. That is crucial. Second, people committing these atrocities employ firearms. Where do these firearms come from? We must deal with illegal firearms operations. To address the issue, we must improve border security and the collaboration between residents and security services.
He also opined that there are those who benefit from these conflicts because they use them to organise other forms of criminality, including robberies, human trafficking, and gun trafficking.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
