Residents in Kumasi Metropolis have been thrown into a state of fear following an invasion of some alien beggars in the city as the authorities in the Garden City of West Africa look unconcerned.
According to the residents, their presence threatens their security since the beggars have resulted to harassing people on the streets in begging for alms.
The beggars, in their hundreds, are believed to have been migrated from Mali, Burkina Faso, South Sudan, Chad and Niger in search of ‘greener pastures’.
These strangers are mostly found at the Central Business District (CBD) Adum, Bantama, Tech Junction, Dr Mensah and around the Kumasi Kejetia Market.
Some of the residents speaking to Otec News’ reporter, Nana Akwasi Acheampong, on Wednesday, November 10, 2021, also raised concerns about health implications posed to them by the aliens.
‘’We are calling on the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council REGSEC to expedite action to clear these beggars from the streets of Kumasi, their presence are nuisance to us’’, one of them told Otec News.
‘’They poses health risk as they have flouted all COVID-19 protocols in their quest to get money on the streets’’, another resident also said.
Speaking to OTEC News Kwame Agyenim Boateng,some traders at Kejetia, Adum and its environs disclosed that over 500 children below 14 years troup to the areas to beg for arms on daily basis.
“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,” Kwabena Manu told OTECNEWS.
According to Agyenim Boateng, these migrants have also besieged mosques in the Kumasi metropolis, especially the Kumasi Central Mosque, where most perch.
Some of the drivers who spoke to the reporter raised concerns about the presence of minors on the streets sometimes leads to avoidable accidents that need immediate attention by the city authorities, particularly the Ghana Immigration Service.
The manner in which these kids run after speeding vehicles on the streets distract drivers, which equally poses a threat to the children.
Reacting to the issue on OTEC FM’S Breakfast Show, dubbed ‘’Nyansapo”, the Ashanti Regional Immigration Public Relation Officer, ICO Abugrabo Elijah noted that, they’re also worried about the situation adding that the situation is a national issue and must be dealt with in a holistic manner.
According to him ICO Abugrabo Elijah, his outfit was working in collaboration with stakeholders to ensure the appropriate removal of the foreign beggars from the streets as soon as possible.
“If you are dealing with foreigners, you are not just dealing with the individual. You are dealing with the countries where they come from as well.”
“There should be a holistic and strategic plan to be able to get them off the streets,” he added.
Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com/Francis Appiah and Kwame Agyenim Boateng
